


In a Dark Place

by ObserveroftheUniverse (observeroftheuniverse), peacenik0



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Cunnilingus, Dubious Consent, F/M, First Time Blow Jobs, Fuck Or Die, Fucking, Making Love, Multiple Orgasms, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, OTP Feels, Oral Sex, Simultaneous Orgasm, True Love, Woman on Top, fake oral sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-10 12:24:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17425841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/observeroftheuniverse/pseuds/ObserveroftheUniverse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/peacenik0/pseuds/peacenik0
Summary: The epilogue is here! Come read it!prompt: "Fuck or die" Mulder and Scully are forced (at gun point, or by some other coercion) to have sex with each other. Dub-con - they both want and have feelings for each other, but not under those circumstances. Bonus points if this is their first time.





	1. Chapter 1

“Damien Skrinavich,” Scully begins, looking down at her file. Their suspect’s eyes stare back at her, making her stomach clench. “He is wanted for several kidnappings, sex crimes and physical assaults throughout rural Maryland and West Virginia.” Scully has seen all manner of depraved criminals, but Skrinavich seems to be particularly vile.

Mulder is behind the wheel of their rented Ford Taurus, attempting to tail Skrinivich’s white van without being seen. They are in the deep backwoods of rural Boonsboro, Maryland and they haven’t seen another car for miles.

“Yeah, this guy seems to get his jollies off of forcing his victims to perform lewd sex acts in front of him.” Mulder cracks a sunflower seed between his teeth.“This guy sounds like a real winner, Scully.” 

“Mulder, I’m gonna call in some backup.” Scully looks down at her cell phone, and sees a “no signal” sign on the green LCD screen. She huffs in frustration. “Nevermind, no chance of that; I don’t seem to have any service out here.” She reaches over to the center console and flips open Mulder’s phone. “And it appears you don’t either.”

“Well, I guess we’re shit out of luck then.”

“Maybe we should head back to where we can get signal. Skrinavich is a dangerous man, and Skinner warned us not to approach him without backup.”

“Scully, there’s no time,” Mulder glances over at her from the driver's seat. “If we lose sight of Skrinavich we might end up back to square one on this case. I don’t want to risk it. We need to stop this maniac before he’s able to a acquire more victims.” 

“I suppose you’re right. But something about this guy just gives me the creeps.” Scully shivers as she looks at the file photo of Skrinavich; his eyes are dark and hollow. If Scully believed in such a thing, she would say that he appears to be possessed. “I just hope we can capture him before it gets dark out here.”

“Don’t worry, Scully. We’ve both got guns, and we’re highly trained.” Mulder looks over at Scully with a smirk. “Besides, you’re more than capable of holding your own against any kind of monster or man that we’ve ever encountered.” She looks out the window and grins a bit at Mulder’s compliment. 

“Thanks. I don’t know, there’s just something about his guy, Mulder. I know it’s not entirely logical, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Hey, I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine.” Mulder’s voice is soft and reassuring, he reaches over and places his hand on top of hers. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about. Skrinavich seems to be particularly interested in men with a certain… physical appearance.” Scully scans through the photos of their perp’s victims, all of the men looked like they could’ve stepped out of a GQ magazine. “All of the male victims are caucasian, and above six feet tall, with brown hair…” Scully looks up from the file. “Mulder, these victims look like you…”

“I think you’re grasping at straws. Besides, that guy,” he points to one of the file photos- “has nothing on me.” He smirks looking pleased with himself. Scully rolls her eyes. “Weren’t the female victims also quite aesthetically pleasing?” Mulder says carefully. 

“But they don’t seem to share any notable physical traits. Most of the female victims seem to be innocent bystanders; they were just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Taken because of their close proximity to their male counterparts. I think that the male victims are the main target for Skrinavich.” Scully pages through the file, piecing together a profile on their perp. “He gets off on having control over his victims. Maybe he’s trying to enact some sort of revenge fantasy. Perhaps a high school rival, or a man that his mother had an affair with?”

“Nice profiling work, Scully.” Mulder cracks a sunflower seed between his teeth. “If I’m not careful, VCS might try to steal you from me.” 

“Thank you,” she looks down and picks at her fingernail. “Anyway, I just think we should be extra cautious around this guy, Mulder.”

“Okay, fine…” Mulder drifts off, and pulls the car over to the side of the road. Scully spots the suspect and ducks down to hide.

“There he is; look he’s getting out of his van and heading into the woods.”

“Let’s chase him down on foot.” He whispers to her as he gets out of the car. 

She checks her weapon quickly, and follows after him quietly. Mulder jogs ahead of Scully into a dense thicket. It’s dusk now, and her vision is not so clear. They follow the suspect on foot for about a mile when all of a sudden her foot catches on something, knocking her off balance and to the ground. She feels her ankle roll to the side, followed by a shooting pain up her leg.

“Mulder!” Scully calls ahead to him. She grits her teeth against the terrific burn as she attempts to move into a sitting position.

“Scully!” His face is a mask of concern as he quickly doubles back to her. “Scully, what happened?”

“Uh, I think I sprained my ankle.” Scully sucks in a breath as she attempts to wiggle her toes. The pain is almost excruciating. Mulder reaches down to gently elevate her leg up onto his thigh. “Oh, ow,” she grimaces and clenches her jaw

“Are you sure it’s not broken? It looks like it’s already starting to swell.”

“Uh, well, I won’t know for sure until I am able to get an x-ray.”

“Okay, maybe we should head back to the car, it’s dark out and we’ve lost sight of Skrinavich anyway.” Mulder says, helping Scully up from the ground and slinging his arm around her waist. “Here, put your weight on me.” They amble forward for a bit, when Scully realizes she is missing her gun.

“Oh, Mulder, I think I must have lost my weapon when I fell.” Scully winces as she puts some weight on her injured ankle. “Do you have your flashlight?” Mulder searches his pockets, and comes up empty.

“No, I must have left it in the rental car. Dammit.” He scratches the back of his head.

They stumble blindly through the brush in search of their rental car. Scully takes a step forward and SNAP. She feels herself falling, falling. Her bad ankle comes in contact with the ground, and she yelps. Mulder hits the ground next to her with a loud thud.

“Ooof,” Mulder gasps.

“Are you okay?” Scully sucks in a sharp breath against the pain.

“I should be asking you that… “ Mulder shifts next to her. “I think I just got the wind knocked out of me, but otherwise I seem to be fine.” The space they landed in is dark and dusty. “Any idea where we are?”

“Uh, I don’t know…” Scully blinks into the darkness, trying to adjust to the lack of light. “Perhaps an abandoned mine?” 

“Maybe…” Mulder breathes out, and she hears him shuffling around in the dark. “Oh, I think my gun got dislodged from the holster when we fell.” He sighs in frustration. “Talk about a series of unfortunate events.”

“No kidding.” Her eyes have finally adjusted to the darkness. 

“Let me get a look at that ankle.” Mulder rolls over and once again gingerly props her heel up on his thigh. He prods at it carefully. Scully grimaces at his ministrations. “I can’t see that well, but it definitely looks worse Scully, I think it’s probably broken now.”

“I think you’re right…” she pauses and sucks in a breath. Mulder pulls her to a sitting position. “We need to try and find a way out of here.”

“Not so fast agents…” a voice with a squirrely southern drawl comes out of the darkness from behind them. The lack of light is disorienting. Scully hears a shuffle of feet then CRACK, the unmistakable sound of of the butt of a gun striking the back of Mulder’s head. 

“No!” Her desperate voice cuts through the dark. The air feels cold, ominous. Scully feels Skrinavich behind her and she freezes. “Stop!” Her throat goes dry. The last thing she remembers is blinding pain at the back of her skull.

END PART ONE  
TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

When Mulder comes to he is on his side, disoriented and cold. After blinking several times, his vision clears enough to see that he is laying on a thin mattress and staring at a worn, wood paneled wall. His head throbs dully. He tries to bring a hand up to his head to feel for a bump or wound but finds resistance - handcuffs. Someone has cuffed his wrists together in front of him. Examining and pulling at the cuffs experimentally, the bond seems solid. Looking down, he sees that the cuffs have been hooked to a chain that appears to be attached to the floor next to the bed. Looking down also shows him the reason for his being cold: he is completely naked. Then it all comes back to him: Skinavich, the file, Scully's profile.

“Scully!” With a bit of awkward maneuvering, Mulder manages to roll and push himself upright to look around for his partner. He sighs in relief when he find her, still unconscious, right beside him. Less than relieving is the fact that she too has been cuffed and stripped, left in only her bra and panties. Mulder’s throat tightens, his blood turning hot at the thought of Skinavich’s hands on her, removing her clothes.

“Scully?” Mulder touches her arm in an attempt to rouse her, but she doesn’t wake. Mulder bends his ear to her mouth, and is grateful to hear her slow steady breaths.

Satisfied that Scully is alright, Mulder surveys the room. There is not much to look at, but the few sights are chilling. The only furniture in the room is a heavy wooden workbench with various tools on it, and the bed that he and Scully are on. The mattress is stained in amorphous splotches of yellowish sweat, and the occasional fleck of a dark brown he fears is blood. In the corner next to the bed is an outhouse style toilet, which reeks of feces. Above the headboard and next to the bed are various cuffs, chains and shackles. Mulder’s skin prickles, hair on the back of his neck rising at the realization that this is undoubtedly the room in which Skrinavich has carried out his crimes.

Victims’ photos and statements run through his head. His heart drops in a sickening lurch at what Skrinavich must have in mind for them. Shaking his head, he forces the thoughts and images away. Their perp is nowhere to be seen. Maybe, if he acts quickly, he can find a way to get himself and Scully out of there before he shows up.

There is a window to the left of the bed, but it’s boarded up with plywood so it offers little chance of escape. The only other exit is the rusty-hinged door on the other side of the room. Before he can get up to examine it, the knob twists and the door is flung open to reveal Skrinavich.

“Oh, well good morning, Sunshine.” Skrinavich flashes Mulder a cracked smile, ”Or I guess I should say good evening. I wondered how long you would be out. For a while there you had me worried I'd clocked 'ya too hard.”

“Let us go!” Even as Mulder moves to stand, he isn’t sure what he intends to do. Attacking Skrinavich would likely only end in one result, and sure enough just as Mulder’s feet hit the rough wood, Skrinavich produces a gun from his waistband.

“Not so fast, Mr. FBI. Sit back down.” Skrinavich points the gun - a standard FBI-issue - at Mulder’s chest. Reluctantly, Mulder sits back on the edge of the bed as Skrinavich steps into the room.

“What is it you think you’re going to accomplish here?” Mulder asks, staring daggers at their captor. “You already know we’re FBI. There are dozens of agents out there looking for you. Anything you do to us in the meantime is only going to make things worse for you.”

“That may be true. But it’ll take even the FBI a little while to find you out here. This place is my little secret.” He gestures to the room around them. “Quiet, secluded… and doesn’t show up on any maps. So I think we have time to have a little fun. The way I see it, I’m already going to jail for the rest of my life. I’m considering this my last hurrah.”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but we’re not going to play any of your sick games.” Mulder follows Skrinavich with his eyes as the man walks around the bed, heading toward Scully. “Hey! Don’t you touch her!”

“Relax, pretty boy,” Skrinavich chuckles, “I’m just gonna wake her up.”

Skrinavich knocks the handle of his gun into Scully’s swollen ankle and she immediately bolts awake, gasping against the pain. Mulder winces in sympathy. Scully’s wide, panicked eyes dart around as she takes in the situation.

“Mulder?”

“Right here.” He brushes his cuffed hands against her bicep, watches her shiver and blush as she realizes her state of undress.

“Your ID said ‘Dana Scully’ but I think I’m just gonna call ‘ya ‘Red.’” Skrinavich says as he looks Scully up and down. Mulder bristles; he does not like the way this sick fuck is looking at his partner. “And your partner here, Foxy Mulder… I think I’ll call him FBI.”

“I don’t care what you call us.” Scully tells him. Her tone is measured, but Mulder hears the hint of disdain just under the surface. “Aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, and false imprisonment of two federal agents… Not to mention a host of other sex crimes that you have perpetrated over the last five years. These are all felonies, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a judge who won’t give you a life sentence in federal prison.” Scully swallows hard. “But we may be able to convince a judge to grant you some leniency if you let us go now.”

“Not a chance in hell, Red.” Scully’s eyes narrow. Mulder has rarely seen her this incensed.

“Then you’re going to rot in jail, I’ll see to it that myself. ” Scully spits, her words filled with cold venom that would make most tremble. Mulder sits in awe of her. Much to his dismay, Skrinivich simply laughs at Scully.

“Oooo-eee feisty little girl, you got here, Mr. FBI.” Skrinavich strokes his gun along Scully’s thigh, and up over her underwear. Mulder feels his skin heat with rage as he watches Scully stiffen at the contact.

“Keep touching her like that you won’t even make it to a judge. I’ll kill you in this very room.” Mulder growls. He moves to stand again but stops dead as Skrinavich moves the gun to Scully’s temple. He watches her throat work convulsively as the swallows against her fear.

“Oh, I figured y’all wouldn’t go down without a fight. That only makes it better for me. I wanna see you both squirm. Though I gotta say, as pretty as you are, Red, your partner here is the one I’m really interested in. He’s just right. Perfect, really.” Skrinavich clicks his tongue appreciatively as his eyes rake over Mulder’s body. “It’s your lucky day, Red.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Scully mutters.

“Don’t play dumb with me. You know what I’m all about.” Skrinavich snaps, no longer even looking at Scully; his attention has shifted to Mulder. He traces Mulder’s bicep with the gun. The touch is light at first. Then, without warning, Skrinavich presses the gun into his muscle - hard. “I bet you think you’re hot shit, huh? Especially with the ladies.”

“I’m sure I do better than you. But that’s probably not saying much.”

“What do you think, Red? He’s a good looking man, ain’t he? I’m sure he’s shown up in a dream or two of yours, hasn’t he?” Scully’s whole body flushes in embarrassment, then her nostrils flare in raw anger.

“Get that gun off of him, you bastard!” Scully strains against her restraints as she lunges to push Skrinavich’s her away from her partner. Skrinavich shoves Scully aside, then presses the barrel of his gun against Mulder’s chest, above his heart. Mulder swears he can feel his heartbeat banging against the barrel.

“Ooo-eee what a firecracker you got on your hands here,” Skrinavich nudges Mulder’s hip with the weapon. “I bet she’s a tiger in the sack, huh? If she doesn’t cut off your balls first!”

“That’s none of my business - or yours, you sick fuck!” The words fly out of his mouth, and Mulder’s eyes slide closed in immediate regret.

“Ah, I see, so the two of you have never fucked?” Skrinavich asks with a tone of sadistic joy. Mulder’s jaw clenches. “Perfect. The first times are always my favorite to watch. This is going to be real fun!”

“You’re not going to see anything.” Mulder insists. “I already told you we’re not going to play your games.”

“Oh, I think you will. You’re not going to have a choice. ” Skrinavich gestures to Scully with the gun, “You’re going to fuck her, or you’re both going to die.”

“No!” Mulder shouts. His face goes hot with anger, sweat prickles his skin. Mulder will not allow himself to be forced on Scully like that. He would rather die. “I won’t do it. Look, you said you’re more interested in me, right? Then take me. Just leave Scully out of this.”

“Lookee here, Red, your partner would rather give himself to me than fuck you. Now, how does that make you feel?”

It was a gross misrepresentation of his feelings, but Mulder keeps his mouth shut. Now as not exactly the time to let Scully know how he feels about her.

“If you’re asking whether I’m insulted, the answer is no.” Scully says calmly. “Mulder has no need to resort to violence and depraved games in order to get aroused, unlike you. Assuming, of course, you can get aroused. That’s a typical problem for men like you. They can’t get it up.”

“Is that what you think? Oh, sweetie, I’ve got no problem in that department. I’ll prove it to you later; I promise.” Skrinavich tells her with a wink. Mulder’s stomach turns.

“The hell you will!” Mulder lunges at the other man, ignoring the handcuffs digging painfully into his wrists. “I’ll kill you, you sonovabitch!”

Part of him knows he is being too reckless, but all he can think about is Skrinavich on top of Scully, a visual that tinges his vision red. He reaches for their captor’s throat, desperate to squeeze the pathetic life out of him before he can so much as look at Scully again.

“Mulder, don’t!”

Either Skrinavich is stronger than he looks, or Mulder is more affected by the blow to the head than he realized, but the next thing he knows he is face-down on the mattress, cold metal pressing into the back of his neck.

“You should listen to your partner, FBI. You’d be wise not to piss me off.” Skrinavich hisses in his ear. Mulder’s skin erupts in a rash of terror as he feels the gun follow the line of his spine, towards his ass. “What was it you said before? ‘Take me?’ Consider your wish granted, pretty boy.”

Skrinavich roughly pushes Mulder’s ass cheeks apart. Mulder swallows down bile and clenches his jaw, knowing what comes next.

“If you touch me,” Mulder says through his teeth, “you can be sure that someone’s going to make you their very own pretty boy in federal pound-me-in the-ass prison!”

“Your boy really has a death wish, doesn’t he, Red?” Skrinavich shoves the gun against Mulder’s back entrance. Mulder grunts in pain. It would be better, he knows, for him to relax but he cannot help but tense up in anticipation of the coming assault.

“No! Please don’t!” Scully’s voice is desperate, imploring. “We’ll… we’ll do what you ask.”

“Good choice, Red. I can see you’re the brains of the operation.” Skrinavich takes the gun from Mulder’s backside and flips him back over.

“Scully?” Mulder turns to face her and searches her face; she gazes unwaveringly back at him.

“Listen, Mulder, I can deal with...whatever he’s going to have us do to each other. What I can’t deal with is watching him hurt you, or worse. Let’s just get out of this alive.” She reaches out and, after some awkward fumbling due to the cuffs, she manages to slide her warm hands into his.

“But I can’t… God, Scully, I don’t know if I can bring myself to hurt you like that.” Mulder pleads with her. His hands are still shaking from the adrenaline of Skriavich’s hands on him. Scully squeezes them reassuringly.

“I know it’s difficult, but it’s not worth either of us dying over it.” Her eyes are watery, making Mulder’s heart clench in his chest. “And... I trust you. Please, Mulder...”

As usual, Scully is the voice of reason. He knows she’s right, it’s better to give into this sicko’s games than get the both of them sent back to D.C in body bags. Like Skrinavich said: they have no choice.

“Alright, put the gun down, Skrinavich.” Mulder’s shoulders slump in defeat. He releases Scully’s hands to face Skrinavich, biting back a wave of nausea as he agrees: “I’ll do it.”

“That’s what I thought.” Their captor grins. Mulder’s shoulder slump in defeat. “But I don’t know you expect us to do anything with our hands cuffed.”

“Fair enough,” Skrinavich concedes. He pulls a key from his pocket to uncuff Mulder’s wrists, but immediately reattaches the cuffs to one of Mulder’s ankles, keeping him tethered to the chain on the floor. Walking around the bed, he does the same to Scully; her wrists are freed but her good ankle is tethered to the floor. “No funny business, or Red here is going to get it first. Now why don’t you start by taking off her bra? Let’s see those pretty tits.”

Rubbing his sore wrists, Mulder rolls back toward Scully just in time to see her shoot a look of revulsion toward Skrinavich.

Leaning forward, Mulder reaches around her in an awkward sort of hug so that he can reach the strap of her bra. His fingers feel numb and he fumbles with the clasp for several moments before he is finally able to remove the garment. He tries not to look at her as he pulls it down, but he can’t help himself.

Her breasts are absolutely perfect. Round and firm with rose-tipped nipples… fuck. His cock twitches at the sight. Feeling disgusted with himself for staring, Mulder quickly looks away from Scully’s chest. She moves to cover herself.

“Hm, not bad.” Skrinivich comments, his tone blase. “Nice and perky. Play with ‘em. Go on, get a real good feel. I wanna see you suck those titties.”

Mulder scowls. Under other circumstances, he would love to touch Scully, but he notices the guarded way she is holding her body. Her shoulders are hunched, her arms crossed over her breasts, and her eyes dart from side to side. Mulder slowly raises a shaky hand toward her breast, raising an eyebrow at her. ‘This okay?’ he asks with his eyes. Dropping her hands to her sides, Scully nods. With trembling hands, Mulder cups her breast in his palm, and tries to ignore how good the warmth and weight of it feel. Carefully he kneads her, making sure his palm rubs back and forth over her nipple. To his surprise - and guilty thrill - he feels it harden.

"Scully, what else can I do to, um, make this easier for you?" Mulder asks with a gulp, asking more for permission than ideas. Scully takes his head in her hands and pulls it to her chest. Her skin feels so soft against his cheek, he hears her heartbeat steady and strong. She strokes his hair for a moment as she holds him against her, and he feels himself relax a bit.

“What you’re doing is fine - just touch me.” With her hand guiding his mouth, he kisses her pink nipple softly. Scully sighs and Mulder goes hot from head to toe.

His hand goes to her other, rubbing the other nipple between the webbing of his fingers until it tightens. She rakes her fingernails over his scalp, comforting him and setting his body alight with pleasurable sensations. Carefully he teases the hardened nub against his lips, tracing it with just the tip of his tongue. Scully jumps, letting out an audible gasp. In spite of himself, he finds that he is enjoying this. He laves her pink areola, leaving it wet with saliva. She moans quietly. The hand on the back of his head presses him more firmly to her breast.

Much to Mulder’s dismay, his body is starting to react to what he is doing. His skin grows warm and his blood rushes between his legs. His cock starts to harden, dangerously close to pressing up against Scully’s thigh. He jerks his hips away, not wanting her to feel what this is doing to him. He can only pray she doesn’t look down.

"Mulder, it's okay." Scully whispers, as if sensing his thoughts. "It's okay to...to want me. This isn't your fault, you hear me?” How does she do that? Her voice is so calm, even though he can feel her shaking. Her strength never fails to astound him. "And," she goes on, "whatever you're thinking and feeling right now, that's exactly what he wants."

"You're right." It doesn't make him hate himself less, but he should at least try a little harder to hide his misery. He takes a deep breath to curb his emotions and looks up at Scully, offering her a wan smile. "Thank you."

"Less talking, more touching." Skrinavich interjects, ruining their moment. Mulder grits his teeth; even just the sound of this guy’s voice is starting to piss him off. He has to ignore it, control his reactions just like Scully. He focuses his attention back on his partner. Just as soon as he returns his mouth to Scully’s breast, he hears that bastard’s voice again.

“Nah, enough of that. Let’s see how you use that tongue on her pussy. I love to see a woman get nice and wet.” Mulder's stomach drops. No. He can’t violate Scully that way. He doesn't want to violate her any way. “Get on your knees, you FBI prick!”

“I’ll show you who’s a prick!” Mulder’s anger flares. He whirls to face Skrinavich.

“Mulder,” Scully warns, grabbing his arm to keep him by her side. Then, in a saccharine voice he has never heard from her before, Scully addresses Skrinavich. “I’m sorry. We are going to cooperate. But perhaps if you brought us some water we could provide you with more, ah, vigorous entertainment.”

Skrinavich studies them for a long moment, trying to decide whether they’re plotting something. Mulder glances at Scully, wondering the same thing himself. She meets his eyes and gives a nearly imperceptible shake of her head. Skrinavich doesn’t seem to notice.

“You make a good point Red.” Skrinavich answers finally, seemingly convinced that Scully is being sincere. “I’ll see what I can rustle up. But if you try anything… I’ll make the next few hours of your lives the most painful you’ve ever known. You’ll wish you was in hell.”

Skrinavich fixes them with a dark, empty stare. In that moment there is something almost inhuman about his eyes that sends chills down Mulder’s spine. The threat is clearly not an empty one. With that, Skrinavich turns and walks out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Mulder waits for Skrinavich’s footsteps to fade before he turns back toward Scully. Once their captor is gone, Mulder and Scully both breathe a sigh of relief. 

“You okay?” He asks. On instinct he reaches out to touch her shoulder, but lets his hand drop at the last second. Given what has happened in the past several minutes, he is not sure whether Scully will feel comfortable with him touching her.

“Yeah, mostly.”

“Scully…” Mulder trails off, unsure what to say. What can he say? “I’m sorry about all of this. If -“

“Mulder, stop. I’m not blaming you. This is Skrinavich’s doing, not yours. But right now we need to focus on surviving and getting out of here, okay? We can discuss everything else later. Now, do you think you could help me over to the, uh, bathroom? I don’t think I can walk on my own.”

Mulder gingerly picks Scully up and helps her to the toilet. While she is doing her business, Mulder searches the room for anything that could prove useful. Mulder spots a few sticks and planks of plywood.

“Hey, Scully, do you think I use this plywood and my belt to make a splint for your ankle?” He asks, his back still to her as a means of offering her privacy.

“Oh, I think so. We just need a towel, or some kind of fabric.” She pauses. “Do you think you could reach the sheet on the workbench over there?”

“Yep.” Mulder gathers the items, and returns to help get her back on the bed. Kneeling down, he props her ankle up on his thigh, causing Scully to suck in a sharp breath. “Oh, sorry, Scully,” he winces at her pain. “So, I wrap up the plywood right? Don’t want you to get any splinters,” he smirks, trying impossibly to lighten the mood.

“Yes.” Scully says softly. Mulder busies himself with the work, bracing Scully’s leg with her guidance. Her voice is soft, tender. “And, uh, wrap your belt and fasten it, just there.”

When he finishes, Mulder proudly looks at his work.

“Thank you…” Scully whispers, softly stroking his hair. Mulder closes his eyes, and leans into her touch, his heart feels full, but for just a moment. When he looks up, her eyes are wet, reminding him of their current predicament.

“Scully, what he’s asking me to do. It’s not that I…” Mulder drifts off, scratching the back of his head as he searches for the right words. “Under normal circumstances…I would be amenable to that…” Scully raises an eyebrow, and somehow it makes him feel better. “It’s just that it seems very… intimate, and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” When he finally finds her eyes again, Scully looks touched.

“It might be helpful in terms of...lubrication. But like you said, under the circumstances, I’m not sure I...” She pauses and wrinkles her nose in concentration. “What if we pretend?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just make it look like you’re…” Scully glances away again, cheeks flushed. “Pleasuring me.”

“I don’t know… I’d still feel like I was taking advantage of you, in a way.”

“You wouldn’t be... it’s my idea.” Scully’s voice is filled with certainty. In some strange way he is touched by her willingness to give herself up to save him. To save them. Though he never dreamed he would be touching her against her will. She touches his face, “Really, it’s alright.”

They hear the heavy footfalls of Skrinavich, and Mulder scrambles up from the floor to rejoin Scully on the bed.

“Here,” Skrinavich says, depositing some bottled water and a loaf of bread on the stained mattress. “Don’t say I never did anything for ‘ya.”

He allows Mulder and Scully a few minutes of quiet to eat. They devour the bread hungrily. As soon as they are finished, Skrinavich is ready for action.

“Now it’s time for pretty boy to eat some pussy.” Skinavich makes some crude slurping sounds, causing Mulder to glare cooly at him.

Slowly and regretfully Mulder helps Scully lay back on the bed, searching her face for signs of distress. Trying to prolong the inevitable, he kisses her collarbone, then drops a light kiss on each of her nipples, and he once again watches as they harden before his eyes. Mulder nuzzles her ribs with his nose, and she suppresses a light giggle. Scully whimpers when he circles her navel with his tongue.

“I’m going to have to take these off.” Mulder motions to her beige cotton panties - her last article of clothing. He hopes the words sound as apologetic as he feels.

“I know, go ahead.” Sully nods. His fingers pull on the elastic of her panties ever so slightly. She lifts her bottom up to make it easier to remove the garment. Mulder carefully slides her panties down her legs, mindful of her injured ankle. When his head moves back up, her pussy is in direct view. He tries not to look at her, but finds it almost impossible. As Scully shifts her hips up, her outer lips part just slightly. He glimpses her, glistening pink, arousal evident. All the blood rushes to his cock, followed by a wave of guilt. He bites his lip to keep from moaning.

"A natural redhead," Skrinavich’s voice jars Mulder out of his reverie. "Don't think I've ever had one of those before. Looks like I"ll finally get to see for myself it it's true what they say about redheads being wild in the sack." Mulder sees Scully’s face morph from disgust to anger.

“That’s not helping,” he says through clenched teeth. How is this supposed to work if he keeps reminding them of his presence? How could he hope to get Scully aroused with his constant interruptions?

“Maybe, you could give us a little space?” Scully says through a mask of barely restrained rage.

“Fine, but I expect you to give me show,” Skrinavich slinks back to the shadows.

Mulder’s eyes once again find Scully’s; she nods her permission. His hands go to her thighs, and he gently pushes them apart, giving the appearance of performing oral sex. He hears Scully gasp as his lips carefully brush her inner thigh. He immediately looks up to make sure that she is okay. She nods. Involuntarily he inhales deeply. The scent of her arousal in intoxicating, lighting up the neanderthal part of his brain. His cock twitches even as his chest tightens in guilt.

He looks up to see that her eyes steady on his; they speak volumes. Scully reaches down to grasp his hand, and he squeezes back. This is their connection to each other, their lifeline. If anything goes wrong, Scully will let him know.

He works his head back and forth across her thighs, the course hair there brushing against his nose. The close proximity of her sex to his mouth is sweet torture. Mulder makes loud smacking sounds with his lips, and Scully throws her head back in mock ecstacy.

Her skin erupts in a rash of gooseflesh as he sucks a spot on her thigh crease. His blows out a hot breath across her labia. Mulder is shocked to see her outer folds swell further under his “ministrations”. Mulder feels himself hardening, and he curses himself for his body’s reaction. He shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as he is, but this is Scully. This is Scully.

“Yeah that’s it,” Skrinavich shouts, startling Mulder. For a moment Mulder almost forgot that this sicko was there. “Eat that pussy!” Mulder huffs at the man’s crudeness; this is not how he imagined their first intimate experience.

“Shut up!” Scully yells, and their captor points his gun at her. Mulder squeezes her hand, and her eyes go back to his.

“Things could get much much worse for you,” their captor says menacingly. “I don’t have to let him snack on that pretty snatch.” Skrinavich forms his fingers into a ‘V’ and obscenely mimes oral sex. When he looks over at Scully, her face is a mask of constrained anger.

Mulder squeezes her hand in order to get her to focus back on him. He gently kisses her inner thigh again, and feels the humidity of her sex against his skin. Despite their audience, his erection is pulsing now. Scully smells so good, he can only imagine what it would be like to taste her. The desire to spread her open, and feel her wet heat against his lips and tongue is almost too great. He squeezes his dick down between his legs and grimaces. All of a sudden he hears Skrinavich’s voice behind him;

“All right, that’s enough of that! Time to fuck!”

END PART 2

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the fuck part of the "fuck or die"

Last time on "In A Dark Place"  
“Yeah that’s it,” Skrinavich shouts, startling Mulder. For a moment Mulder almost forgot that this sicko was there. “Eat that pussy!” Mulder huffs at the man’s crudeness; this is not how he imagined their first intimate experience.

“Shut up!” Scully yells, and their captor points his gun at her. Mulder squeezes her hand, and her eyes go back to his. 

“Things could get much much worse for you,” their captor says menacingly. “I don’t have to let him snack on that pretty snatch.” Skrinavich forms his fingers into a ‘V’ and obscenely mimes oral sex. When he looks up at Scully, her face is a mask of constrained anger. 

Mulder squeezes her hand in order to get her to focus back on him. He gently kisses her inner thigh again, and feels the humidity of her sex against his skin. Despite their audience, his erection is pulsing now. Scully smells so good, he can only imagine what it would be like to taste her. The desire to spread her open, and feel her wet heat against his lips and tongue is almost too great. He squeezes his dick down between his legs and grimaces. All of a sudden he hears Skrinavich’s voice behind him;

“All right, that’s enough of that! Time to fuck!”   
\----

Startled, Mulder’s head bolts upright. Scully huffs disappointedly. Could she have actually been enjoying this?

Mulder shifts over Scully, covering her body with his own and obscuring Skrinavich’s view. Perhaps he can offer her some semblance of privacy during the act. He holds himself up above her, trying to collect himself. Mulder hates how damn hard he is, and how badly he aches to be inside of her. Intellectually, he knows it isn't his fault. His arousal is an involuntary reflex to certain stimuli, and for him, it is also a frequent reaction to Scully. His chest tightens with guilt, because he still feels like an animal for responding to her under these circumstances. Scully shifts her hips, and his cock throbs.

“Mulder,” Scully whispers, her voice a caress meant for his ears only, “it’s okay. Pretend he isn’t here.”

“Scully…” he tries to communicate years of affection with his eyes. “I’m sorry it has to be like this, I…”He drifts off. His words hang heavy in the air, full of conflicted yearnings and something like love, but more than love. Scully strokes his cheek.

“Alright already! Holy Christ this like watching a fucking soap opera over here. I want to see you two pretty people fuck!” Skrinavich yells, breaking him out of the moment. “I know you want to, FBI. I saw how fast that dick of yours got hard when you were eating her cunt. You want this bitch bad.”

Mulder’s lips curl up in disgust - both for himself and Skrinavich. The bastard is right, but it isn’t as base and vile as the man makes it sound. He respects and cares for Scully. This isn’t just about her body, no matter how his physical reaction may have made it seem.

“Shut up, Skrinavich!” Mulder shouts.

“Then get down to business, Romeo!” 

“Well, it’s now or never,” Scully says. She pulls him down so that he is flush against her. Mulder’s heart pounds loudly in his ears. When he shifts he can feel himself nudging at her entrance. His gaze find hers, and they stay locked in silent communication. Scully nods, and he moves forward. She inhales sharply as he pushes the head of his cock into her; her eyes slide shut.

Mulder holds himself back, easing into her as gently as he can. She is wet, but still so, so tight. It makes him feel amazing and sick all at once; it’s dizzying. To keep himself from getting lost in his own tumultuous feelings, he hyper-focuses on Scully and her reactions.

“Oh, God…” she exhales. Mulder's stomach twists into a knot of hard and cold self-loathing as he watches a single errant tear slide down her cheek. 

“Fuck. I'm hurting you. I'm so, so sorry.” 

“No, no. Mulder, you're fine.” 

“You're sure? I can try to go slower, or --”

“You're not hurting me, I promise.” Opening her eyes, she takes a deep breath and swipes away the evidence of the lone tear. “I’m sorry… this is just… a lot,” He touches her shoulder, an absurdly chaste gesture- rubbing his thumb back and forth.

“I know,” Mulder breathes out and takes her hand in his. Softly he presses a kiss to the inside of her wrist. “You have nothing to apologize for. And if you need me to slow down or give you a minute, just let me know.” Keeping his hand on her shoulder as an anchor, he moves forward slowly, watching her face for signs of distress. Inch by inch he pushes into her, almost cursing himself for wanting to savor the feeling of them together. They both sigh when he is finally fully sheathed inside her. 

After giving Scully a few moments to adjust, Mulder starts up a meandering pace. If he goes faster, this will all be over too soon. 

“Oh Scully…” Mulder is helpless to stop himself from groaning at the way she feels around him.

God, how awful must he seem to her right now? Moaning, enjoying himself during something as traumatic as this. Mulder looks down, ashamed at himself. Scully’s delicate fingers tip his chin up until she can see him.

“Mulder, it’s okay that this is making you feel good,” she looks away, cheeks coloring, “It’s, um, making me feel good too.”

Mulder has no idea what to do in a situation like this, or even what to say. In any other scenario, he would take his time and really make love to her, communicating the depths of his feelings with this physical union. At least… that was his dream. Now, however, he is biting his tongue to keep from saying something stupid, something that will make her uncomfortable. His desire to make this last is not to ensure her pleasure, but to offer her protection from Skrinavich. 

Though it is not at all how he imagined, Mulder decides to make the best of what he has. He brings his body flush against Scully’s. They are close enough that his heart is pressed against hers; he can feel it beating against his ribs. Somehow even in the worst of circumstances, he is able to focus on her. If only they were somewhere else. Anywhere else really. 

His mouth is close to hers now, almost by accident. Perhaps just because of the intimacy of the act itself. He can feel her light pants against his lips. Mulder looks into her eyes, and the moment sings. The intensity of her stare is almost blinding.

“Scully,” Mulder breathes in her ear. Slow upstroke. “Is it…” Looking away from her face, he feels himself blush. Downstroke. It might seem odd, but he is as nervous as he’s ever been around her. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” Another upstroke, and she gasps. The look on her face speaks volumes. Her lip trembles.

“Oh, Mulder I don’t know if...” she whispers to him, her voice full of strained emotion. Mulder looks away, unable to face her. 

“Sorry, Scully, I didn’t… I guess I just got caught up with everything…” He stutters. The moment is rudely ripped away when their captor interjects.

“Ugh, enough with the emotions!” Skrinavich yells. “How am I supposed to get hard over this? This is like watching two old ladies fuck! Come on, be a man and fuck her like you mean it. Isn’t she pretty enough for ya?”

Rage prickles his skin, but before he can turn to say or do anything, Scully stops him. She cups the hand on his cheek and pulls him down to press their foreheads together.

“Mulder, no. It’s just you and me here, right? Just you and me.”

“Right.” 

“You can go faster. I’m alright. This is… you feel nice, Mulder.” 

'Nice.' The word echoes in his head. It isn't what he's dreamed of, but it’s far better than pain so he'll take it. Here and now, it is a victory. He does as Scully suggests, snapping hips against hers in a quick, deep rhythm that makes his eyes want to roll back into his head. Good as it feels, he forces himself to keep his eyes open, terrified of what will happen if he gives himself over to the pleasure. He cannot let this end yet. The longer they keep going, the more time there is for someone to find them. 

Scully presses up on her elbows and hooks her leg around Mulder’s waist, as he moves her foot bumps softly against his asscheek. The change of angle is equiste. Mulder chokes down a sob at the feel of their bodies together. Guilt and fear are forgotten as he looks deeply into her eyes. Her expression is so tender, so sincere. For a moment he completely forgets about the madman behind them. There is only himself and Scully. It’s just the two of them, and they are going to get through this, they are going to be okay. 

Suddenly she gasps and pulls away, burying her face against his neck. With the connection between them broken he is lost again, cast back into shame that had been lurking, swirling in his head since his body first reacted to her.

Now Scully is trembling beneath him, breath coming in staccato gasps. Is she crying? Fuck. Did he hurt her? 

“Scully…” He cups the back of her neck, trying to offer some kind of comfort. He hears her make a choked sound in her throat. 

“Oh, God,” she murmurs. Her body goes rigid, and Mulder is stunned to feel the unmistakable tightening of her inner muscles around him. 

Holyshitholyshiholyshit. Maybe it’s just a byproduct of adrenaline or fear or, or... something he can’t think of right now but it doesn’t matter because Scully is coming around him and it feels incredible, circumstances be damned. Mulder’s jaw clenches, his pace faltering as he rides out Scully’s orgasm with her. His traitorous dick clearly didn’t get the message that this is about survival, pinging bolts up pleasure up to his brain. He bites the fleshy part above his thumb hard, attempting to hold off his own orgasm.

“Seems like you’re better with your mouth, huh? She’s not making those hot little sounds anymore. What a cliche. FBI man carries a gun, but doesn’t know how to use his own weapon.” Skrinavich jokes, oblivious to Scully's orgasm. The laughter that follows is just on the edge of manic, and it’s exactly what Mulder needs to regain control over himself. Thinking of the horrors that surely await them if Skrinavich thinks he has finished allow him to regain control of himself.

Even after the spasms have subsided, Scully keeps her face pressed into the hollow of his collarbone. She won’t look at him. 

“Scully,” he murmurs in her ear, and she responds with a whimper. “Look at me.” 

“No, I-I can’t.” He feels the reverberations of her muffled voice against his neck. 

“Please.” He needs to see her face, to connect with her again and make sure that she is okay. He strokes her hair with his free hand. After a beat Scully pulls back, letting him see her but refusing to meet his eyes. Her face is flushed, eyes cast downward in humiliation.

“Oh, Scully… it's okay.” He leans his forehead against hers, strokes her jaw with his thumb.  
She meets his gaze then, her eyes shining with tears, and gives him a watery smile. 

All of a sudden, he feels her mouth on his. A wave of electricity courses through his body. It takes him a moment to tentatively move his lips against hers. Scully winds her arms around his neck, her tongue seeking entry to his mouth. When his lips part for her, the taste and feel of her tongue against his heightens every sensation. Scully becomes more insistent, like she is trying to impart all her feelings with the brush of her tongue against his. Affection, unyielding trust, and love. In spite of everything, a seed of hope starts to grow inside him. Maybe something good can come out of this after all.

“Ugh,” Skrinavich makes a noise of disgust, effectively slicing through Mulder’s momentary happiness. “All this lovey dovey shit is making me sick. Never thought watching a guy eat pussy and fuck would make a man soft, but here we are.” 

“We’re doing what you asked!” Mulder pushes into Scully once again, and grits his teeth. “What more do you want from us?!” Their captor waves his gun around. 

“I want to see you fuck her from behind,” Skrinavich motions for them to change positions. Mulder’s breath catches at the request. He catches Scully’s eye and she blushes, but nods her assent. He pulls out of Scully, and sits up. Mindful of her bandaged ankle, he helps her turn and reposition herself on all fours. Catching her eye, Mulder squeezes her shoulder reassuringly before positioning himself behind her. The view he is presented with makes him physically weak. If he were standing, he is certain his knees were buckle. He can see everything - her shapely ass, the glistening of her arousal - and it is almost too much. He tears his eyes away, feeling a little like a voyeur. He covers Scully’s body with his own, carefully shielding as much of her as possible from Skrinavich’s eyes. Scully rocks back toward him, and they both moan when the head of his cock comes in contact with her clit. It sets him on fire, but he doesn’t enter her yet.

“Scully… I--” he whispers into her ear, words catching in his throat. What can he even say? Being on top of her was one thing, but this… this is an entirely different level of intensity. Before he could see Scully’s face, ground himself by locking eyes with her, or gauge her reactions by her expression. Now he will be flying blind. She must sense his trepidation because she pushes back against him, sliding herself over his cock to coat him with her wetness. He bites back a moan.

“Mulder, I’m wet for you,” she whispers. “Can’t you feel it?”

“Yes,” Mulder groans in her ear as the head of his cock nudges at her opening. She shifts her hips back to grind against him. His cock surges forward almost by instinct. The fact that Scully is encouraging him like this is almost too much. 

“Then just fuck me. I-I want you to.” Her husky tone of voice makes him dizzy. Mulder's eyes squeeze shut as he thrusts into her in one long deep stroke. Now she moans loudly, and he is not sure if it is for him or the benefit of their captor.

“You heard the lady. Now pick up the pace, Romeo!” God what a fucking asshole, Mulder thinks. Skrinavich steps up to them, puts his face closer to where Mulder and Scully are joined. Skrinavich whistles as he watches Mulder’s cock pistoning in and out of Scully. Mulder's gorge rises, he shudders with the exertion trying to stay hard with their captor watching them so closely. The other man is clearly... enjoying himself, Mulder notices with disdain.

“Could you backup a little, Skrinavich. You’re kinda killing the mood for me.” Scully squeezes her inner muscles around him; it sends another rush of blood to his cock.

“You think I care about that shit?”

“You will if you want to keep watching.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Skrinavich rolls his eyes, but takes a few steps back. It is not as far back as Mulder would like, but it is enough to get the man out of his periphery. “Long as you keep fucking 'er like that. That's good shit. See if you can't make this bitch scream.”

He hears Scully huff in frustration. Mulder is disgusted with what Skrinavich is asking him to do. 

“Just ignore him, Scully.” He places a soft kiss on her shoulder, and he feels her relax under him. 

In other circumstances he would love to make Scully scream in ecstasy, but not for this monster’s entertainment. Yet… he does want to make Scully feel good. If he could give her some pleasure out of this...not for Skrinavich, but in spite of him. If she already had one orgasm, then maybe he could give her another. Mulder increases the speed of his thrusts, and she begins whimpering, low and breathy sounds. He licks the pads of his fingers, and brings his hand rest on her inner thigh.

“Can I touch you?” He breathes in her ear.

“Yes, yes please.” With her permission, Mulder moves his hand down to cup her swollen sex. He carefully spreads her open with index and middle fingers. His index finger darts out to touch her clit for the first time, then snatches it back just as quickly. Scully whimpers, and it encourages him to keep going. He begins drawing soft circles over her engorged clit. Soon, she is grinding herself into his fingers as he strokes her from behind. Scully gasps audibly as he circles his fingers around her swollen clit, the sound goes straight to his cock. Mulder can hear the slap of their bodies coming together as he thrusts harder and longer. 

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes,” She is keening now, making these delicious sounds that go straight through him. “I’m almost there.” His fingers circle faster, hoping that he can bring her to another orgasm before his own climax. He angles his cock so that he is hitting her front wall with impressive force. 

“Oh my god…” Scully moans, exaggeratedly. Mulder is sure it’s for the benefit of their captor. Then, more genuine: “Ah, I’m gonna….” Her body goes rigid, and her back arches. She falls forward onto the bed, Mulder following her, grunting as her muscles shatter around him. He is unable to stop himself from fucking her into the bed, trapping her hips between his and the mattress. “Oh, oh, oh, Mulder.” The sound of his name on her lips is what does it. 

“Do you want me to… should I...” Worried it would be too much to finish inside her, Mulder tries to asks her if she wants him to pull out, but the words won’t come. Sweat drips from his brow, the exertion of fucking her while trying to hold off his orgasm becomes too great. “I can’t...I can’t…stop it…”

All of a sudden Mulder hears BAM BAM BAM, the unmistakable sound of a police battering ram against the door. Skrinavich lets out an unearthly scream, but Mulder can only focus on Scully right now.

“Just let go.” She squeezes her inner muscles around him like a vice. Mulder is panting, he needs to come. He pulls all the way out, intending to thrust deeply back into her waiting pussy, but she is so wet that his cock slips up in between her ass cheeks.  
Behind him Mulder hears the door splinter. 

“Move! Move! Move!” A voice - Skinner? - calls out to the team of agents. He turns just in time to see Skinner run in, gun drawn, with at least a half-dozen agents behind him. Mulder’s skin goes cold with adrenaline and mortification as he makes eye contact with Skinner. He tries to stop himself, but it’s too late. Mulder turns back to Scully as his body goes rigid, and his balls tighten.

“FUCK! SCULLY!” He shouts as he watches in horror and ecstasy as he comes hotly all over her backside. Much to both his dismay and delight he jerks and spurts endlessly over the smooth skin of her ass. Involuntarily, he slumps forward, closing his eyes and burying his head into Scully’s shoulder.

“‘M sorry,” he mumbles into her ear. Scully reaches behind her to grab his hand, interlacing their fingers. 

“It’s okay, we’re safe,” she whispers. “They came for us.”

Everything that happens next is a whirlwind, a surreal kind of dream. Mulder is only dimly aware of what is going on around him, ignorant of the sounds and commotion. First Mulder hears Skinner tackle Skrinavich.

“Damien Skrinavich, you are under arrest,” their boss grits loudly. “You have the right to remain silent…” Skinner begins reading Skrinavich his Miranda rights. Mulder hears the clinking of metal, and feels the chains on his ankle fall away. They are free. Scully sighs with relief. 

Out of the corner of his eye he sees that maniac Skrinavich with a maniacal, devilish grin on his face, and Mulder sees red for the second time that day. Mulder screams, propelling his body forward, and using his head like a battering ram to tackle Skrinavich. Mulder recognizes that the impact should hurt, but it doesn’t. Skrinavich in a vivid, blood red is all he can see; everything else is a haze.

“Ooooffff,” their former captor grunts as he hits the floor. Mulder immediately pulls his fist back, and hits Skrinavich. Hard. He hears a CRACK as his knuckles connect with Skrinavich’s nose. Blood spurts out as the other man recoils in pain. Perhaps it’s his own adrenaline fueled rage, or some kind of auditory hallucination, but he is sure he hears Scully yelling MAKE HIM PAY, MAKE THAT SON OF A BITCH PAY, MULDER!!!

“Anything…” SMASH! “You say...” CRACK! “Can and and will... “ BAM! Mulder pummels Skrinavich’s face in time with his words. “Be used against you in the court of law…” The other man doubled over, crumpling as Mulder strikes him again and again.

“Agent Mulder!” He hears Skinner’s voice, feels distant hands on his shoulders trying to pull him back, but he shrugs them away, laser focused on beating the shit out of their former captor. Mulder is insane with passion and fury as he slowly brings his fist back one last time. Skrinavich cowers underneath him, whimpering and bloody.

“This is for Scully, YOU SON OF A BITCH!” With all his might, Mulder smashes Skrinavich’s temple with brute force, knocking the other man out cold. Again there are hands on his shoulders, desperately trying to restrain him. This time they finally succeed in pulling Mulder off Skrinavich. Skinner steps in front of him and forces Mulder’s arms down to his sides. Behind him another agent assists. Mulder struggles for a moment, panting hard, before his rage leaves him in a rush. 

“Mulder, what the hell were you thinking?!” Skinner shouts. He clenches his jaw and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Are you okay?” 

Mulder doesn’t answer. The room is suddenly swimming. The back of his throat tastes like fear and bile. His eyes dart around, searching for Scully in the swarm of agents. 

“Scully?” he calls, feeling desperate and empty. But Scully is gone. Gone. 

END PART 3  
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen ya'll, if you enjoyed this even just a little bit, please hit the comments. Observeroftheuniverse and I have been working so hard on this fic! We have been shirking all of our normal life duties including work, family, sleep etc... to bring you this bit of depravity, so leave us some love...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scully works to regain her power, and define her relationship with Mulder in the wake of their ordeal with Skrinavich

Scully watches as Mulder attacks Skrinavich with an unusual sense of pride at his display of physical revenge. She almost wishes she could join in on the pummeling. Honestly she has never wanted to shove a gun up someone’s anus and pull the trigger so badly before. The other agents seem to share a similar sentiment; a couple of them help Skinner grab at Mulder’s shoulders, but it’s their first few attempts are half-hearted. If there is a lawsuit to be had here, they have clearly decided to cross that bridge if and when they come to it.

She is so engrossed in the display that she does not notice the EMT come up next to her. She startles as she feels a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders. A pair of EMTs lift her up on a stretcher. The EMTs examine the splint on her ankle, shine lights into her eyes, and ask her questions, but she struggles to focus on what they are saying. They quickly wheel her outside of the shack like structure, and load her into the ambulance. 

“Wait! What about Mulder?” Scully asks a stocky female EMT with short curly hair. Her voice is on the edge of commanding and desperate. “My partner, Agent Mulder; I need to make sure he’s okay!”

“I’m not sure ma’am,” the EMT begins in low voice as she carefully unwinds Mulder’s crude splint from Scully’s ankle. Scully briefly glimpses the insignia on the EMT’s uniform - Barb - but Scully doesn’t care what her name is, she just wants to see Mulder. “I believe he’s being taken to the hospital in another EMS vehicle.” 

“Which hospital are you taking me to?” Scully winces as Barb places a saline IV in Scully’s arm. Scully has barely had any water for many hours, and she knows she must be dehydrated at this point.

“Frederick Memorial.” 

“I want like him to ride with me.” Scully demands. Barb applies a cold pack to her ankle. Scully had almost forgotten until that moment. Relief soon floods her body as the swelling starts to go down.

“Look ma’am, I don’t make these decisions, I’m just here to treat your injuries and get you to the hospital as soon as possible.” Barb continues to work quickly and efficiently to take off the splint Mulder made for her. “This splint isn’t half bad, especially considering what I gather about the circumstances when you made it.”

“My partner helped me.” Scully watches as Barb goes to put Mulder’s belt in a resealable plastic bag. “Wait, I want to keep that. I want to make sure he gets it back.” 

“Okay, fine.” Barb hands Scully the item, and she clutches it tightly to her chest. A wave of affection wells up inside her as she remembers the way her tenderly cared for her injury. “Your ankle looks broken. That splint helped reduce the strain and swelling. Smart thinking.” Scully reluctantly holds still while the EMT begins fitting her for a medical grade brace.

“Yes well, I am a medical doctor…” Scully says with an air of superiority.

“Ah, well now that makes sense… doctor’s are always the worst patients.” The sound of sirens fills her ears as the ambulance rushes away from the scene.

\---

Just over an hour later, Scully sits alone with her thoughts in a hospital bed. As soon as she reached the hospital, she was asked if she wanted a rape kit, which she vehemently refused. Dried on sweat, dirt and seamen cling to her skin, leaving a grimy film all over her. God, what she wouldn’t give for a hot shower, a cup of coffee, and a large pizza with everything on it. 

Now, she looks down at the white plaster cast on her leg, grateful that she only suffered a hairline fracture to her Fibula. The doctors estimate about six weeks in the cast, and a few more weeks in a walking boot. This means that she will be unable to return to the field for a while, a fact that frustrates her to no end. If she can focus on work, then she won’t have to think about what just happened to her. Scully looks up as she hears a knock on the door. A female agent with mousy brown hair and a clipboard enters the room.

“Agent Scully,” the young agent begins in a soft voice. “My name is Lizzie Kray, I’m from the Baltimore field office, how are you feeling?” The other woman pulls up a chair next to Scully’s bed.

“Fine, despite the circumstances.” Scully says, attempting to stuff down her feelings. Agent or not, she does not need to rehash everything with this stranger.

“Yes, well, you’ve been through quite an ordeal.” Lizzie says pulling out a pen from her suit jacket. “I have a few questions about what happened to you and Agent Mulder.” Scully immediately perks up at the mention of Mulder’s name.

“How is he? When can I see him?”

“The last I heard, Agent Mulder was being checked out by hospital staff...” Lizzie clears her throat, and looks like she is trying to summon up some courage that she does not yet possess. “Uh, Agent Scully, I’ve been told that you are to refrain from seeing Agent Mulder until you’ve both been fully debriefed, and our people are able to fully assess the situation.” 

“What?” Scully grits, her anger rising in her throat. “No…I want to see him right now!” Agent Lizzie’s eyes bug out of her head.

“I’m sorry Agent Scully,” Lizzie swallows hard. “But I’ve been told we need to follow the FBI protocol on this case.” Scully’s shoulders tighten in frustration at the red tape and bureaucracy of working for a Federal agency. “Witnesses say that Agent Mulder was on top of you in an... aggressive position when federal agents entered the room. He also physically attacked the alleged perpetrator... ” Lizzie pauses to look down at her clipboard. “Damien Skrinavich.” Scully scoffs, and rolls her eyes.

“I’m sorry, have you even read the casefile on Skrinavich?” Scully asks the younger woman, unable to believe they would send someone so unprepared to take her statement.

“No, not yet. I am only in here to get your version of the events. From what I gather, Mr. Skrinavich took you and your partner hostage, and at some point during this ordeal Agent Mulder sexually assaulted you.”

Scully’s stomach turns over at that word. Is that what they think?

“No, you have it all wrong. Agent Mulder did NOT sexually assault me.” Scully grits out darkly. “And I don’t want to hear you or anyone else use that word to refer to what happened, am I understood?”

Her voice is too loud, too forceful for this poor woman who surely means no harm, but Scully doesn’t care. She will not allow what happened to be twisted into making Mulder out to be a villain.

“If you had bothered to read the file,” Scully grits through clenched teeth. Lizzie cowers in her chair. “Then you would understand. It’s all part of Skrinavich’s M.O. He chained us up and threatened us at gunpoint to perform sexual acts for his own sick amusement. Agent Mulder didn’t want to go through with it. I was the one who insisted on…” Scully trails off, realizing she does not have a word that really describes what happened between her and Mulder. “...to save both of our lives. I am telling you with utmost certainty that Agent Mulder didn’t assault me.” 

“I believe you Agent Scully,” Agent Lizzie says timidly, she is shaking like a leaf. “I’m just trying to do my job.”

“Well, you’re not doing it well enough! I can’t believe the Baltimore field office sent in some junior agent, unprepared, to a handle a high profile case like this! They should be ashamed of themselves!” Her nostrils flare in disgust. “I want to speak to your SAC. No, better yet, I want to speak to A.D. Skinner!”

“Uh… yes ma’am.”

“And here’s a lesson from a more senior Agent, Liz-zie” Scully begins with venom in her voice “Next time, before you question a victim, try reading the goddamn casefile!”  
\---  
A half hour later, Scully still hasn’t been fitted for her crutches, or been able to see Mulder. Growing restless, her mind immediately goes to all the worst possible scenarios: Mulder handcuffed to a hospital bed, arrested after beating up the Skrinavich; Mulder alone and racked with unnecessary guilt; Mulder being interrogated like a perp, accused of raping her... Scully shudders at the image of some other uninformed, incompetent agent shouting at Mulder in a vain attempt to make him confess to something he didn’t do. She quickly makes up her mind that she is going to see him, one way or another. She presses the call button on the side of her bed. After several minutes of arguing - culminating in a threat to walk on her broken ankle if she has to - she is finally able to convince the nurse to take her down to the ER. 

They get to the triage desk, and Scully clears her throat loudly to get the attention of the nurse on duty.

“Excuse me, you have a patient, Fox Mulder. I’d like to know what room he’s in.”

“I’m sorry ma’am, I am not supposed to give out that kind of information to anyone other than family due to HIPPA guidelines.”

“I should be listed as the emergency contact on his forms. My name is Dana Scully.” The duty nurse looks at her blankly, making no move to check the computer in front of her. “His date of is birth ten thirteen nineteen sixty one.” Still the nurse does nothing.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, I need to get your request signed off on by a doctor or the hospital admin.”

“Then do it!” Scully says, the anger rising in her voice. The duty nurse falters, and Scully almost feels guilty for yelling. Almost. “Listen, it’s been a long day, and you have no idea the hell I’ve just been through. I am tired, hungry and covered in a whole slew of substances. All I want is to see my partner. And one way or another I am going to see him, even if I have to walk down there myself.” Scully points to the cast on her leg.

“I’ll, uh, see what I can do, ma’am.” Finally the nurse picks up the phone, then types a few commands into her computer. After a few moments, her efforts are successful. “He’s in room, two-o-three.”

“Thank you.”

\---

When Scully first sees him, his back is turned to her. Her breath catches in her chest for a moment. She is reminded of the first time she saw him when he got back from Tunguska, the unmatched feeling of joy she felt when he walked into that senate hearing. She clears her throat, and he turns to face her.

“Hey…” Scully can’t help the smile when she sees him in front of her, safe and sound.

“Oh, hey!” Mulder’s eyes light up, and his expression goes soft. He looks like he might want to run up and embrace her, but he holds himself back. “Look we’re wearing matching outfits,” he cracks. A smile tugs at the corner of Scully’s mouth.

“Yes…” Scully looks down at her blue hospital gown, then back up at him. She’s never been so glad to hear one of his lame jokes. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Likewise,” he says softly. “I was just about to come looking for you. How did you get down here?” 

“Oh, I had to bully a junior agent and a few nurses… but all in a day’s work, you know.” She says dryly, Mulder chuckles lightly, and she’s glad to see his smile after all that they’ve been through.

“Uh,” he scratches the back of his head. “How are you feeling? I see they got you all fixed up.” He gestures to the cast on her leg.

“I’m fine, despite the circumstances.” Scully clears her throat, and picks at her fingernail. “ I wouldn’t mind a long hot shower and a decent meal though…”

“Me either, it’s been… quite…” Mulder drifts off, pulling at the loose collar of his hospital gown.

“You don’t have to say it… “ Her voice is soft, but firm. She doesn’t want to talk about all of that right now. “Skinner is putting me on two weeks of medical leave, at least four visits to an FBI psychologist, and then another four weeks of desk duty until I’m able to return to the field.”

“Ooooh, ouch,” he smirks. 

“What about you?”

“The doctor says I’m mildly concussed. Other than that and a chafed wrist, I’m fine. Skinner’s put me on mandatory two weeks of paid leave, then a psych eval.” He scratches the back of his head. “What’s a workaholic to do with all this time off from work?”

“Well you could start by cleaning your apartment,” Scully raises an eyebrow, and Mulder smirks. The air between them changes, and Scully finds herself unable to look away from his lips. Flashing back to the moment that she kissed him, she gulps as she remembers that their first kiss was in front of Skrinavich. She blushes deeply, eyes shifting away from his face as she thinks of how she let her feelings get the best of her. Clearing her throat, she says, “Actually, I think the mandatory leave might be a good thing. I could use some time to… sort things out, perhaps get a new perspective on what happened to us…”

“Oh…” Mulder mumbles, looking down at his shuffling feet. “Yeah...you are always telling me to take some time off.”

“Yes…” From behind her, she hears a nurse clear her throat nervously. 

“Uh, Miss Scully, I’m sorry to interrupt but your doctor has a few more questions for you, and they are ready to fit you for your crutches.”

“Uh, well I better go…” She gestures towards the door.

“Yeah, you better…” The nurse begins to wheel Scully out of the room. Before she gets very far, she feels Mulder’s hand on her should. “Hey, Scully. Over the break is it okay if - can I call you?” Scully reaches back and places her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“Give me some time.” Her throat tightens, imagining the rejected look she is sure Mulder has on his face. “I’ll call you when I’m ready… I promise.” And with that, the nurse wheels Scully out of Mulder’s room.

\---

Her apartment is a much different place when she is forced to be there. The haven becomes a prison. In the space of two afternoons, Scully runs out of things to do. Her laundry is caught up, her dishes are washed, her CDs and books are re-alphabetized. She is listless, bored. Reclining on her couch, bad ankle elevated, she tries four separate times to get absorbed in one of the many books on her backlogged reading list. Even the most recent medical journals fail to hold her attention. 

The silence of her apartment - normally a source of calm - is suddenly deafening. Her mind wanders, flitting from subject to subject until it invariably lands on the events in Maryland.  
A few days into her mandatory medical leave, her boredom gets the best of her. She decides to throw herself into the one case file she had on hand: Skrinavich’s. She already knows most of the stomach-churning details of his crimes, but there were a few things she picks up on that she had somehow missed. A plan of sorts had started to form. The thought of visiting Skrinavich and confronting him begins to ruminate and in this moment she knows what she has to do.

After she puts down the file, she is left again with the loneliness and silence. She wonders if this is why Mulder likes to keep his television on when he is home alone: to drown out the thoughts and memories. Except her memories are tactile. No matter how high she turns up a bad laugh track, she cannot drown out the memory of Mulder’s hand on her face, his lips surprisingly soft against hers. There was something in the way he touched her that night, something in the way he looked at her that she hesitates to name. Intuition tells her its love, but what kind she cannot be sure. There were moments where she was convinced she saw romantic love in his gaze, felt it in his body. Now she wonders if those feelings were merely what she wanted to see. 

These thoughts come to her unbidden at all hours of the day and night. When she closes her eyes, she sees Mulder looking down at her, gaze penetrating straight into her soul as he enters her body.

She wishes she could return to work, to normalcy. This has always been her method of dealing with trauma: move on, don’t think about it. If she is able to function and move forward with her life, that is good enough for her. She knows that is not how it’s supposed to work, but it has served her well enough. Why deal with hard and painful truths lying deep within her psyche if she doesn’t have to? Besides, remembering and dwelling on a trauma cannot fix anything. Talking to someone and replaying the event cannot undo what happened. So why bother?

Even as she longs for her usual coping mechanisms, she cannot deny the truth of her situation. This trauma is different from the others, because it didn’t happen only to her. Mulder was there too. They were both robbed of something that night. While she would be perfectly comfortable dismissing the implications of the attack for her own sake, she cannot. It wouldn’t be fair to Mulder. She cannot make that choice for him. 

So, as much as she yearns to return to work, she also dreads it. Returning to work means seeing Mulder, and they are going to have to talk. There is so much to unpack from that night, including their emotions: the love she thinks she saw in Mulder’s eyes, and her own feelings she struggles to come to terms with. Expressing her emotions has never been her strong suit; just the thought of having that conversation with Mulder makes her mouth run dry. 

She sits on her couch trying to run through possible conversations in her head. 

“Mulder, we need to talk.”

No, that sounds too much like she is about to break up with him. 

“Mulder, about the other night… I need you to know that I don’t blame you. The other night when I kissed you, I did it because I wanted to. You didn’t do anything that I haven’t already dreamed about.”

Not a terrible start, but it reveals too much too quickly. 

“Mulder, the other night brought up some questions...Do you have feelings for me?”

Definitely not. 

She cannot seem to come up with an opening she likes. Even in her mind, she cannot get very far in the conversation before she gets overwhelmed. After what Skrinavich did, she already feels too cracked open, vulnerable. She just isn’t ready to face Mulder yet. 

\---

Every night she goes to sleep waiting for the nightmares. It takes four nights before she sees Skrinavich in her dreams. She is back on that filthy mattress, handcuffed to the headboard. Skrinavich's dark, sallow eyes move slowly over her naked body, prickling her skin and making her gorge rise. He moves to loom above her. Cold metal brushes against her thigh. Skrinavich drags the gun barrel up toward the juncture of her thighs and Scully bristles. For a moment thinks he is going to-- but then he jerks away.

In a transition that makes sense only in dreams, Scully finds herself chained up to a wall, watching Skrinavich glare down at Mulder on the floor in front of her. Bruises have appeared on Skrinavich’s face. His eyes are ringed with black, the bridge of his nose is bent, and his lower lip split. 

“Your partner here did quite a number on me, Red.” Skrinavich slurs. He grins, showing off teeth tinged with bright red blood. “He’s got a nice face. Shame what I’m going to do to it.”

With no further preamble, Skrinavich pulls back and slams his fist into Mulder’s face. Mulder cries out, blood dripping from his nose. Skrinavich punches twice more, his fists coming away red as more blood bursts from Mulder’s nose and mouth. He kicks Mulder hard in the ribs. 

“Stop it!” Scully yells. 

Skrinavich ignores her and kicks Mulder in the ribs. Scully watches in horror as Mulder starts coughing, spitting blood. Skrinavich kicks again, and this time she can hear the sickening crack of bone.

“You’ll kill him!” Scully struggles against her restraints, heart pounding, until her wrists are raw. Pinpricks of blood bloom on her skin. “Mulder!”

Skrinavich keeps kicking. Mulder’s head drops to the ground, lolling. 

“You son of a bitch!” She screams, voice cracking. Pulling and twisting her wrists, she continues to work at the restraints, but her efforts are fruitless. She is utterly powerless to do anything but watch as the iron scent of Mulder’s blood fills the air and the light in his eyes grows dim.

“Mulder!”

\---

Scully jolts awake with Mulder’s name on her lips, the bitter flavor of adrenaline in her mouth. Her limbs are still heavy and her thoughts foggy as rolls over and grabs the phone from her bedside table. Without thinking, she dials Mulder’s number. 

By the time she catches her breath and realizes what she’s doing, the line is already ringing. She blushes, feeling foolish. It’s the middle of the night, she didn’t even look at the clock before calling him. 

Scully pulls the phone away from her ear, preparing to hang up, when he answers. 

“Mulder.” His voice is thick, groggy. She must have woken him. And, God, she really has missed him. Just hearing his voice again is putting her at ease..

“Mulder, it’s, uh, it’s me.” 

“Scully? What’s wrong? It’s -” she can all but hear him squinting at his alarm. “It’s almost three in the morning.”

“Oh, r-right.” She closes her eyes and mentally kicks herself. That’s what she gets for calling without looking at the clock. “ I’m sorry. I thought you might be awake anyway, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

“No, don’t -- I mean, don’t worry about it. What were you calling about? Can’t sleep?”

“I just had a… dream, that’s all.” It sounds even sillier when she says it aloud.

“About Skrinavich?”

“Yeah.”

“What -” he breaks off, silent for a moment. She can hear the gears turning in his head, trying to decide what to ask, whether he should ask at all. Finally he settles on: “I’ve been having dreams too. I guess they’re really more like nightmares.”

“Oh. Do you want to talk about them?” She will gladly talk about his dream if it means taking the focus off of hers. Unless they are having the same dream. She wonders what the chances of that are. 

“I’m not sure there’s much to talk about. They’re - I keep seeing parts of what happened. And some things that didn’t.”

“Like what?”

“Well, in a few of them I can tell that I’m… you know, hurting you. I want to stop but Skrinavich won’t let me. Then, afterwards, you won’t look at me.” 

“Mulder…” Her heart clenches at how pained his voice sounds. She can only imagine what those nightmares must be like for him. He already blames himself, he doesn't need to be haunted by what could have happened on top of it all. It seems clear to her that he is afraid she blames him. “You didn’t hurt me. And I don’t blame you for what happened. It’s not your fault. You know that, don’t you?”

“I know you’ve told me you don’t blame me,” Mulder says carefully. “But…I guess I’m worried that even if you aren’t upset… that you’ll still be uncomfortable working with me, and that’s the last thing I want.” 

“Oh.” She breathes. In truth, she is worried about the same thing, but not for the reason he probably thinks. Her fear is that she will not be able to look at him without seeing that tender look on his face as he pushed into her, or hear his voice without remembering the way he groaned her name in ecstasy. It had felt exquisite to come around the solid, hot length of him; she can’t forget that. Her face grows warm at the memory. She shifts and ignores the warmth starting to grow between her legs. She pauses to collect her thoughts. “Mulder, I don’t want what that bastard did to come between us. I know we can get through this. I think there is more to say here, but I’m not ready yet.”

“I get it. It was a lot. Take as long as you need, Scully. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready to talk.” He says gently. 

“Thank you.” She murmurs. 

“I’m going to see him tomorrow.” She admits quietly. They both know who she’s talking about.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” If she cannot exercise control over Skrinavich in her dream - a dream she suspects will become recurring - then her best option is to take control in real life. 

“Yes. I- I have something I want to tell him. I feel like it’s important for me to confront him for myself, to show him that he hasn’t won.”

“Well, I’m sure you will use your best judgement around him. After all, I’ve seen you make bigger men shake in their boots.” Scully can hear his smirk over the line, it makes her smile.

Silence falls between them. Fabric whispers across the line, the sound of Mulder repositioning himself. Scully imagines him making himself comfortable, cuddling up with the phone pressed to his ear just as she is. She shifts and settles herself back against her pillow, drawing the blankets up around her in a protective cocoon. If she closes her eyes and listens carefully she can hear Mulder’s quiet breathing, almost like he is there with her. It is the ideal circumstance for her right now; a way to be with him without actually being with him. She wants his presence, but the reality of actually physically facing him - and all that encounter will entail - is too much.

“Mulder? Can you do me a favor?” She rolls onto her side. This shared space between them makes her feel safe. It emboldens her to ask: “Can you talk to me until we fall asleep?”

“Of course. I’d love to.”

And he does.

\------  
The next morning Scully wakes with the cordless phone still in her hand. The lack of dial tone tells her that she must have hung up at some point during the night, but she does not remember. She hopes she at least said goodbye to Mulder, unless he was asleep.

Scully makes a few calls to make sure everything is in order for her visit to Skrinavich at the federal prison. Showering and dressing take her longer than usual with the cast but by ten thirty she is ready. She calls a taxi, and directs him to take her to the locker where the evidence she located resides. On the way to the prison, she goes over the file inch by inch. Scully feels a sense of pride in her impeccable investigative skills. Her desire for justice is unmatched.

Once she reaches the prison, she confidently flashes her FBI badge at the front desk. The correctional officers immediately get her a wheelchair, but Scully declines; she is too proud for that. She holds her head high as she escorted through the many prison hallways. She stops for a moment, reaching in to touch the evidence hidden away in her trench coat pocket. Getting there on her crutches is a journey, but she knows she will command more power when she is standing tall. The sound of the clanging metal doors goes right through her. With each step she feels the angry fire within her being stoked. 

When they finally reach his cell, Skrinavich is wearing an orange jumpsuit, and facing towards the cinder block wall. Scully clears her throat, and Skrinavich turns around. Just like in her dream, his face is a mess. One of his eyes is the greenish-yellow of a fading bruise, and there is a crease in his bottom lip where a split is starting to heal.

“Oh, well lookee here.” Skrinavich leers at her. Scully swallows a wave of bile in her throat; the injuries to his face certainly have not helped his looks. “Red decided to pay me a visit. Couldn’t wait to come back for more, could ya?” Scully’s mouth form a hard line.

“Agent Mulder and I have petitioned the judge. Do you want to know what we asked her for?”

“Life in prison. I already know that, Red. ” Skrinavich sneers, rolling his eyes. He doesn’t seem to be taking Scully very seriously, and this only serves to make her angrier.

“Exactly. So take a good look around you,” Scully tells him firmly. She gestures to the cinder block walls around them. “Because this is the only view you’re going to get for the rest of your life.”

“Maybe so, but I still got what I wanted: to see two pretty people fucking like jackrabbits.” Skrinavich smirks. Scully feels the disdain and hatred coursing through her veins, her nostrils flare. “Whether you admit it or not… I know you liked it. I heard how you begged him to fuck you. I think you’re a little more bent than you give yourself credit for, Red.” Skrinavich taunts her. Scully drops her crutches, and lunges on one foot towards their former captor.

“Shut the hell up!“ Skrinavich laughs at her. Rage consumes her body, every nerve ending crackles with it. “Right now, these metal bars are the only thing keeping me from coming in there and picking up where my partner left off, you sick BASTARD! ” She screams at him.

“Ooo-eee Red, I almost forgot how feisty you were. I think that partner of yours is too much of a pussy to handle you, ain’t he.” Skrinavich lets out an insane cackle. 

“But none of that matters, because I told you that we were going to make you pay, and I fully intend to keep my word on that.” Scully smiles to herself. She is about to utterly destroy Skrinavich.

“Lisa Bailey and Zachary O’Donnell,” she enunciates the names very carefully, looking for a glint of recognition in Skrinavich’s eyes. “Do those names ring a bell to you?” 

“Not that I recall…” Skrinavich itches his nose. A classic sign of lying, Scully is well aware of this.

“Well, they should. It seems to me that you got a little cocky, didn’t you?” Scully pulls a VHS tape out of the oversize pocket of her trench coat. “I was able to procure this video, in which you can clearly be seen coercing Miss Bailey and Mr. O’Donnell to engage in numerous sex acts.” 

“Do you think you’re giving me any new information here, Red?”

“Don’t get smug, Skrinavich.” Scully glares at their former captor. “All this would be bad enough, except for one pretty incriminating detail… Lisa and Zachary were both underage at the time of the incident.” She watches his face fall. 

“They… they were?” 

“Yes, and I talked to the judge this morning. It looks like we could also get you on two counts each of sexual assault of a minor, child pornography, and child prostitution.” Scully looks down feeling a sense of justice that is finally being served for those victims.“So that makes you a pedophile…do you know what they do to pedophiles in prison?” 

“Red…” he gulps audibly.

“So it seems to me that you’ve messed with the wrong redhead, haven’t you, you sonovabitch!” Scully says in a clear authoritative voice.

“You see; I’ve looked into the eyes of killers and monsters like you, I’ve seen more evils than even you can fathom… and you know what?” Skrinavich shakes his head.

“What?”

“I’ve won... EVERY. SINGLE . TIME!” 

\---

When it really comes down to it, she misses Mulder. When you spend nearly every day with someone, you get used to them. They become part of you, in a way. Scully thinks back to all of the things that they have been through together: monsters, deaths of family members, abductions, cancer. All of these things would break many people, but they have become stronger through them. 

Scully thinks of the way his body felt against hers. She couldn’t ignore it; the way he made her tingle inside and out. She remembers gasping in earnest as he pushed into her for the first time. Even now she feels her inner muscles clench at the thought, trying to grasp at something that isn’t there. Then she had felt it. Her first orgasm seemed to come out of nowhere, but at the same time, it had been building for years. Scully tried to fight it, but it overtook her body like a tidal wave. She tried to hide it from Mulder, unsure if she was ready to show that part of herself to him. Certainly she had not wanted him to find out about her feelings that way. That was what made her the most angry - the fact that Skrinavich had taken something special away from them. Like their first time was forever tarnished, robbed from them by the sadistic ways of a madman.

Truthfully, during the act itself, there were times that she really had forgotten that Skrinavich was in the room watching them. Times when she looked into Mulder’s eyes, and was surprised to only see herself looking back. She hates that every time she thinks of her first time with Mulder, Skrinavich will always be there. If only she could go back, erase the bad parts, and start over.

It seems like an insane idea, but perhaps they could. Maybe they could take something that had been broken, and make it new again.

She needs to see him.

But no.

What if she gets to his apartment and Mulder tells her it was all an act? That their experience with Skrinavich was simply a way to make sure they stayed alive. In the moment, and even looking back, it felt so real, so genuine. But what if she was wrong? What would he say? Sorry, Scully, you know I care for you, but not in that way. 

She hobbles around her apartment, thinking of all the reasons why she shouldn’t see him. What is she going to say anyway? Hey, Mulder, when we were forced to have coitus with each other, it kinda forced me to acknowledge that I have feelings for you… It sounds so stupid. She can think of a thousand reasons not to go… one thousand one, one thousand two. 

Then she sees it. His black belt, coiled neatly on top of her dresser. Under her fingertips, she feels the creases in the well-worn leather. In her mind’s eye, she sees Mulder kneeling down, fashioning her splint with so much tenderness and care. Her heart wells up to the brim. 

She touches her lips, and feels his kiss; passionate and sweet and loving all at once. You can’t fake that, can you?

So she hobbles down to the corner and hails a taxi. The cabbie looks her up and down before he throws her crutches in the trunk. 

“Hegel place…” she begins. “Um… wait.” Her mind breaks apart. She remembers his eyes, dark and deep, the way she saw herself in them. “Yes, Hegel Place, Alexandria. Thank you.” The cab jolts forward into traffic. Scully clutches Mulder's belt tightly in between her fingers. A life-line in the darkness.

END PART 4  
CONTINUED IN THE EPILOGUE


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: After their ordeal with Skrinavich, will Mulder and Scully be able to find healing together?
> 
> This is it ya'll! Leave us some love at the bottom!

Epilogue  
\---  
Scully softly knocks on Mulder’s door, and then swiftly changes her mind. Maybe she will get lucky, and he won’t have heard her. It’s not too late to go back home, is it? She told the cabbie to wait, just in case. She is almost three stiff crutch steps away, when she hears the snick of the door opening.

“You’re not as quick on your crutches as you think you are,” Mulder says dryly. His voice makes her stop dead in her tracks. She can’t look at him yet. It’s been almost two weeks, if she sees his face, she won’t be able to leave. Maybe she doesn’t want to. 

“No, I suppose not.” It takes an awkward three-point turn to face him. His eyes are shining in amusement. She glares at him, and he holds his hands up in surrender.

“That’s okay, I have no doubt you’ll be sprinting on them in high heels in no time.” Mulder deadpans with a wry smirk. Scully wonders if he thinks about her in high heels, but quickly shakes the thought away. “You wanna come in?” He nods his head towards the door. An invitation. 

“Uh,” she falters. Her mind grasping for reasons to leave. The taxi is probably still outside waiting for her. But Scully can’t fool herself, the moment she saw his eyes it was all over. She feels so obvious now, like there is a sign on her chest that says I WANTED TO SEE YOU, printed in large black letters. “Yes, I’ll come in.” Her shoulder brushes against his chest as he holds the door open for her.

Inside, Scully notices the way the TV flickers, lighting up his features in muted blue. When he switches it off, only a single lamp and the glowing green light of his fish tank interrupt the darkness. Mulder motions towards the couch.

“Why don’t you let me give you a hand… not that you need it.” 

“Okay, I’ll let you help me this time.” He takes her crutches and leans them up against the wall. “But don’t get any of these chivalrous ideas when we’re at work.” Scully allows him to sling his arm around her waist. She leans into him. It feels good, maybe too good. Haven’t they always held each other up?

“Of course not.” Mulder helps her to ease down on the couch, but remains standing. “You want something to drink? I’ve got...water from the tap or- well that’s pretty much it.”

“I’m fine thank you.” Her shoulders are tense, her fingernails scratch over her track pants nervously. She can’t help but wonder if coming here was in fact a bad judgement call. Is it too late to call the whole thing off? 

“So how did it go today?” Mulder casually flops next to her on the couch, but he seems to maintain a healthy distance. It takes a moment for Scully to realize what he is talking about. She nearly forgot she had told him of her plan for the day. “You said you had something you wanted to tell him?”

“Right. Well, the other day I was going over Skrinavich’s file, and I noticed a few errors in the documentation that I wanted to follow up on.”

“Oh, what were your findings?” His eyebrows go up, clearly interested.

“The case-reports showed two different dates of birth for two separate victims. It was probably a typo, or perhaps someone failed to cross check the dates. But, as it turns out, those victims were...” She pauses to collect herself. “Under the age of legal consent, when they were victimized by Skrinavich.” An angry flame blooms hot in her chest, followed by a cold wave of sadness. “They were children, Mulder.” Her voice is somber, solemn. Mulder’s face falls with empathy for the two innocents who fell prey to that monster's vile games. “And that’s not all.” Scully continues.

“There’s more?” Mulder asks shaking his head.

“Yes, and the worst part is that Skrinavich was either sick enough or stupid enough to record the whole thing.” She continues. “I gave the tip to the SAC in charge, and they found the video at his home.” 

“So that makes him a pedophile, in federal prison.”

“Exactly, and that was the news that I wanted to deliver to him myself.” Scully remembers the look on Skrinavich’s face when she told him that he had messed with the wrong redhead. “It was the first time I’d ever heard him rendered speechless.”

“Oh, ouch.” Mulder purses his lips. “Did you make him cry, Scully?” There is a wealth of schadenfreude in his voice.

“Not that I saw, but he was definitely shaking in his boots a bit.” Scully smirks. Mulder beams with pride.

“That’s my girl.” As if by instinct, his hand goes to her shoulder, but he seems to think better of it. “I mean,” he pauses to clear his throat. “Excellent investigative work, Scully.”

“Thank you.” She flashes him a smile, not afraid to show some satisfaction in her work. Her smile doesn't linger. Mulder’s sudden hesitancy to touch her did not gone unnoticed. He had been fine just a moment ago when he helped her to the couch. The mention of Skrinavich must have reminded him of...everything. Scully wonders how she can tell him that she enjoys his touches, that they bring her a sense of comfort that she has missed in the last few weeks. Then she remembers her conversation with him last night; his fear of her being uncomfortable around him at work. Perhaps he would find it equally as difficult to be around her? Her hands twist in her lap, Mulder shifts around stiffly next to her. Scully searches her brain for a way out of this conversation. All of the sudden it comes to her.

“Ah, I almost forgot, I have something of yours…” she reaches into her blazer pocket and produces the worn black leather belt. 

“Oh, you kept it.” His voice holds a note of surprise. 

“I was, uh, holding onto it for you.” She rubs the belt between her fingers, unable to meet his eyes.

“Oh...you didn’t have to do that, Scully.” His voice is tender, full of unspoken emotion. She softly places the belt into his open palm. Her hand lingers on top of his for a little too long, and his fingers curl up and brush the underside of her wrist. It makes her shiver, and reminds her of how his lips felt on the tender skin there.

“I know… it just reminds me that no matter what the odds...” She drifts off, and then looks up at him.

“I think I know what you mean. We’ve been through so much together. Sometimes I think maybe-” He stops abruptly, as he if he just realized the end of the sentence and thought better of it. 

“What?” 

“I’ve just been thinking about...what happened.” Mulder scrubs his fingers over his face. “And I-I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. But...” Scully sees the tension in Mulder’s jaw, the uncertainty in his eyes . “Maybe it was almost better that it was us instead of two strangers. At least you and I know each other and have established level of trust. Whereas two strangers…” He waves his hand. Scully nods her head in understanding. The thought of a being with a complete stranger instead of Mulder sends a chill up her spine. 

“But then again,” he stops, looking down at his hands. “With two people who know and trust each other, there also comes the risk of that trust being ruined.”

“It wasn't ruined, Mulder… Look, I, uh, I’ve had a lot of time to think about that lately, and I…”. How she can say something that there are no words for? “There were a lot of things that happened that night with Skrinavich. Some of them I’d like to forget… but others…” She drifts off, unable to make herself finish her thought. A pregnant pause hangs between them

“Oh,” He bends over to rest his elbows on his knees, his eyes stay forward. “I was worried that I got a little carried away- especially at the end...” 

“I think maybe we both got carried away.” She admits softly.

“I thought… maybe you were...just performing.” His voice is unsteady, unsure. “You know, for him.” An unsettling image of Skrinavich populates in her mind.

“I admit that some of it was...” Scully looks down to pick a stray fiber from her cast. “A bit exaggerated. Call it- self preservation.” Mulder frowns, and she feels the need to set the record straight. “But not all of it was for him,” she finishes softly. 

Mulder looks up at her, his eyes warm green, his face boyish. Her heart beats wildly in her chest, as she remembers the other reason she came over to see him. 

 

“I just can’t help feeling that he took something away from us…” she continues, “...something that was supposed to be only for you and me…” A long slow exhale escapes her lips.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It certainly wasn’t the way I would have wanted it to be…” Mulder looks down. And the moment becomes heavy between them once again. She can’t help but wonder...

“How would you have done things differently?” The question is out of her mouth before she is able to stop it. His thumbs go to his chin as he thoughtfully considers her question. Then a small grin teases the corners of his lips.

“Well, for starters; we would have been alone. But I think that’s a given.” The worry lines on his face are gone, his countenance seems lighter, more relaxed. “Maybe I would’ve taken you out somewhere nice. Or maybe that Irish pub in Old Town.” Scully begins picturing it, a first date of sorts. “What’s it called?”

“Murphy’s, I like that place; it’s quiet.” She breathes, their thighs are touching now. 

“Yeah, I know.” She imagines him in jeans and that black turtleneck she likes. Or maybe it’s right after work, and his oxford shirt is unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. Better go back to the black turtleneck… the dress shirt would be too distracting. In their pretend date, he’s bouncing his knee on the bar stool and anxiously eating the pub peanuts. 

“And you’re all awkward and jumpy around me until I tell you to relax, that it’s just me.” She can’t help the smile creeping into her voice.

“I think that’s exactly why I’d be nervous, cause it’s you.” Mulder admits, and it makes Scully’s heart beat faster. She places her hand in his, and squeezes.

“It’s okay, I think I’d be nervous too.” Scully looks down, unable to meet his eyes for a moment. Yet her natural curiosity gets the better of her. “Then what?” 

“So, I, uh, ask if you want dinner or just drinks.” 

“I want dinner.” She smiles. “And you order the burger.” Mulder nods vigorously. 

“And you say you’re just going to get the salad. But, I know that what you really want is the fish and chips, so I tell you that you should just get that.” Scully feels her heart well at the way he knows her. “Then we have a couple of drinks, and you get all cute and giggly.” Scully grins at this.

“I do?”

“Oh yeah, you’re a total lightweight.” He smirks, and she pinches him. “It’s nice out, so I ask you if you want to take a walk on the harbor by the old torpedo factory.” Scully hums. She thinks about them walking together, side by side, like a normal couple.

“And I say yes, because I like seeing the lights there at night.” She pauses to imagine the ferries sailing on the canal, the way Mulder’s features would light up as they passed under the street lamps.

“So you tell me about your rebellious teenage years,” Mulder waggles his eyebrows at her. A sly look slides onto her face. “Oh, so there really are some stories to tell about one young Dana Katherine Scully.”

“None that I’m willing to share at this time.” Her voice is coy, teasing. “What do you tell me about?”

“My bad luck with girls in college.” 

“Only in college?” Scully raises an eyebrow playfully at him.

“Haha, that’s enough out of you.” A deep rumble in his chest, his eyes shine luminous green. “As we walk, you put your arm through mine like this.” He demonstrates by looping her arm through his, their elbows locked together. Scully marvels at the way his touch makes her feel so many things at once.

“Oh, you like when I do that?” She breathes. His answering hum is pure heat and affection. The air between them changes now. She is caught up in the moment, caught up in their imaginary date. Their mouths are getting closer, and Scully can’t help but wonder.

“Do you… do you kiss me?” The places where their bodies touch spark like a static electric charge.

“I think...uh… I know that I’d want to kiss you.” His breath is warm and sweet as it tickles her lips. “But I’d probably chicken out.” 

“You would?” He bites his lip and nods. Date-Mulder would be nervous, after all, it might be up to her to make the first move. She imagines standing on his shoes, reaching up to pull his head down. When their mouths meet his lips would be soft against hers.

“So why don’t you tell me what is going to happen next?” Mulder’s voice jolts her out of her reverie.

“I’d… I’d want you to bring me back here.” Scully surprises even herself with her forwardness. Mulder’s jaw drops in earnest. Her mind goes to the anticipation of riding up the elevator next to him. Both of them giddy at the promise of what is to come. “And I can hardly wait until we get in the door to kiss you.” 

“Is that so?” He’s waiting for her. Slowly bringing her hand up to cup his cheek, Mulder leans into her touch. Her heart hammers in her chest. Just another inch...

“Yes.” Her lips are feather-soft against his. He responds tentatively at first, his lips a mere whisper against hers. A first kiss. Tender and sweet, and full of promise. It doesn’t take long for them to find a rhythm. There is a pleased noise in the back of his throat as their tongues slide together. Hot velvet. She is drunk on him already, drunk on the fervor finally erupting from within him. 

Absently placing a hand on his upper thigh, she feels the heat of him pulse through his clothes. Pulling away she gasps for breath. When she looks down, his length is hardened steel under his clothes. Seeing his passion ignited before her eyes sends a rush of arousal to her core. 

“Don’t mind him, he’s a little…” Mulder pauses to clear his throat. “Ahead of the game, so to speak.” There’s that smirk that she has come to know so well. 

“Oh,” Scully moves her finger to trace over the bulge in his jeans. Mulder sucks in a breath. “I don’t mind one bit.” Her voice is husky, sensual. 

Scully is struck by the urge to straddle him - to feel that impressive bulge against her - but worries her damn cast will be in the way. Aiming for skin on skin contact, she tugs at the hem of his shirt. Her fingers itching to feel his skin against hers. She scrapes her fingernails higher and higher, and he sighs into her mouth. With an astounding dexterity, he breaks the kiss to whip his shirt off and toss it to the floor. 

Turning back to her, he eagerly brushes her blazer from her shoulders. His grabs roughly at her shirt, anxiously attempting to pull it over her head. The shirt snags on her cross necklace, and gets stuck on her head. 

“Mulder!” Scully yelps, her mouth muffled under the fabric of her shirt. 

“Oh, sorry,” he mumbles. She can’t help but giggle as he unhooks her necklace from the fabric. Finally she is freed. A fully breath of cool fresh air is a relief to her lungs. “I guess you’re getting the full awkward Mulder on a first date experience tonight, huh?” They both chuckle against each other for a moment.

“I like it.” she grins, and her lips find his again. His reticent fingers trace her clavicle, drawing a line down her sternum to her cup her breasts. He carefully tests the weight of them. A sigh escapes her lips as as he delicately kneads her tender flesh. 

“I like this. It’s, um, pretty.” Mulder mutters, lowering his head to rub his lips against the sheer fabric framing her bra. The red lacy one she had put on this morning, telling herself that it was just a confidence boost for her meeting at the prison. 

A kiss to the place where her heart beats; it hammers through her chest as if it were trying to get closer to him. His tongue leaves a trail of heat where the fabric of her bra meets her sensitive flesh. Scully sighs at the sensation, thrusting her breasts into his hands. She wants more. 

Mulder groans and drops one hand to her waist, pulling her closer and zeroing in on one of her breasts. Scully whimpers while his lips tease her. He furtively sucks a nipple into his mouth, and hums, she feels it harden under his ministrations. Scully watches Mulder lave his tongue over the fabric, leaving a wet spot. It’s not enough; she can’t fully experience the warmth and texture of his mouth this way. She sighs, and he looks up at the sound. One hand reaches up to touch a bra strap.

“Can I --” Mulder fingers the strap, eyes darting to her cleavage then back to her face. She is touched by his asking. It’s completely unnecessary, but she appreciates the respect. 

“Yes.” God yes. Finally, he reaches around her to unhook her bra. She helps him pull the cloth away, eager to really feel his hands and mouth on her. Mulder stares at her now bare torso, eyes darkening. He actually licks his lips - tongue gliding over that plump bottom lip, making it glisten - and she can feel herself swell with arousal. He is looking at her like he wants to devour her; she expects him to pounce any minute, burying his face between her breasts, but he doesn’t. 

Instead he bends his head to tentatively nuzzle against her skin. He moves slowly, carefully, as though they are back in that room where he is afraid to let his touches be anything more than utilitarian. Protecting her from his passion. 

Had this been months or even weeks ago - before Maryland - she would have been annoyed at him for assuming that she needs or wants to be shielded from him. Yet, after what happened she cannot bring herself to be angry with him; she understands his reluctance. What Mulder needs is her reassurance.

She recaptures his mouth with her own, pulling at his bottom lip. Under her hands, she can feel the struggle within him; he’s still holding himself back. He stills for a moment, and they breathe together. She has tried non-verbal cues, but now she must be straight with him. Tell him exactly what she wants.

“Mulder,” she touches his chin, bringing it up to make him look into her eyes. “I know you’re worried, and I understand, really I do. But all of that is in the past. Let’s leave it behind us. Let’s not let it affect what we have now.” Her kiss is ardent, as if she were trying to pour her very soul into him. When they break, she leans her forehead against his, and moves his hands against her breasts. “I want you to touch me.” She says the words succinctly, hoping that she will get her message across.

“And I.. I want to. God… I’ve wanted to touch you for so long.” She hears the passion spark in his voice, and she feels relieved. Hands at the back of her neck draw her closer, his tongue moves hungrily into her mouth. His kiss is fire, she is happy to be consumed.

Scully’s hand moves to his thigh as they continue to kiss. Her fingers move to his inner-thigh, the denim bunches under her fingers. Scully can feel the heat of him pulsing against the back of her hand. Breaking her mouth away from his, she nips at his chin, then kisses his jaw, loving the rasp his stubble on her face. He sucks in a breath as she cups his hardened length through his jeans. 

A kiss to his collarbone, then his sternum. His face is flushed, and his eyes are dark. She takes one of his nipples between her lips and sucks, flicking the tip of her tongue over the hardened peak. He gasps. As Scully makes her way down his abdominal muscles, Mulder strokes her hair. Scully feels a sense of pride in the way his erection strains against his jeans. The way he groans deep in his throat at her attention. Finally her hand rests on his button fly. Scully still feels the hesitation in him, sees the way his muscles tense as she gets closer to her destination. 

“Is this okay?” Knowing that his body was also victimized during the incident, she needs to make sure that he is enthusiastic about her intentions.

“Uh, yeah,” Scully shifts awkwardly to the kneel on the floor between his open legs. He catches her elbow to steady her. “But you don’t have to.” Mulder says softly. Then he jumps as her lips touch the skin just under his belly-button. 

“But I want to.” Moving her tongue just under the waistband of his jeans, she traces his Adonis belt muscles with her tongue to prove her point. Truthfully she loves this part of his body, and she wants to see more. 

“Okay then,” he breathes as she finally unbuttons his pants. Scully feels the sense of desire and anticipation ramp up within her. She sees him now, naked and wanting her. Mulder is positively dripping with desire, swollen tight and thick against his belly, and she can't help it - she bites down on her lip. Hard. 

Kneeling down between his legs, she inhales the scent of his arousal. She knows she has smelled it before; on those all night stake outs, sometimes in his motel room when they are delirious from lack of sleep and testing how close they can get to that line without crossing it. Mulder knows this too. His eyes are dark and wide, awestruck, as she lowers her mouth onto him for the first time. She tastes him: salty tap water, sunflower seeds, fever and lust. His cock pulses against her tongue, she can see his blood under his skin. He is smooth steel against the back of her throat. Relax. Relax. Her mouth becomes one with him, her tongue swirling, catching his essence. His hands reach for her face, and their eyes lock. He moans, letting his eyes fall closed. Her body tingles with the pleasure she is giving him. Scully didn’t know that giving a blow job could a transformative experience, until now. 

“Ah-oh.” He almost gurgles in his throat. His face is enraptured. “Sc-Scully.” He’s breathless. Then tap, tap, tap with this fingers. Her lips go off of him like a cork. POP.

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, nothing. I just want… - C’mere, Scully.” Mulder’s reaching for her hips, chuckling at her track pants, her practicality. She laughs, feeling the heat of his hands over the nylon as he tugs them free. 

He pulls her naked into his lap. Their mouths vibrate together in harmony. There’s an urgency to the way she sucks at his tongue and squeezes her thighs together. Her fingers splay against his chest and arms, memorizing the way their bodies feel against each other. They kiss with purpose. Both accepting the knowledge of where this will lead. The ultimate truth. When his cock bumps her inner thigh, she gushes. And her body flushes, because surely he must feel it, her wetness against his leg.

“How would you feel about moving this to the bedroom?” Mulder murmurs when the part.

“Mhm, please.” Startling her, Mulder wraps one arm around her shoulders and another under her knees, lifting her. He hoists her up in her arms. Reflexively she grabs onto him. “Mulder!”

“What’s wrong?” A kiss to her temple.

“I can walk. I’m -”

“I know. This way is faster. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can have my way with you.” He winks, teasing her.

She relents, dropping her protests and leaning into him. His heartbeat flutters against her ribs. In his arms she is weightless, carefree. She would never admit it aloud, but she has always wondered what it would be like to be carried by him like this. It brings about something primal in her. Neanderthal almost. The desire to be hoisted over his shoulder and carried to his bed.

The bedroom is dark. Street lamps streak the room with a strange, yellowed light. Mulder sets her on the bed, resting her back against the pillows. The comforter is tangled at the foot of the bed.

“Sorry if...it may have been a while since I changed the sheets. I don’t sleep in here all that often.”

“It’s fine.” The sheets smell like him, like comfort and safety. 

Mulder comes to lay by her side, kissing her hard. When his lips leave hers, she watches his tongue trail down her body, swirling in her belly button. He counts her ribs, tastes her skin. Each kiss is full of reverence and promise. Finally he is between her legs. He looks beautiful - she has dreamt of that dark head framed by her thighs, those hazel eyes peering up at her.

Scully bites her lip as she tries to keep from squirming. He seems to look at her for far too long. In spite of herself she feels a little self-conscious. How does she look to him? She should be past the point of shyness; he has already seen her. Yet the intimacy of this moment is striking. This is Mulder about to go down on her. For real. Butterflies are suddenly in her stomach, their wings churning up little storms of anxiety and excitement inside her.Her body reacts with to the nearness of his mouth, she feels herself grow even wetter.

As he spreads her open with his finger and thumb, the moment hangs heavy in the air. His face is shrouded with reverence, with awe. She blushes at the sight, unable to remember anyone else ever looking at her that way. Mulder inhales, then makes a choked grunt in the back of his throat.

“God, you smell so fucking good.” His voice is sex-hoarse. His breath touches her, making her shudder. “I wasn’t completely honest the other day; I’m more than amenable to...this. I love it.”

There is a warmth in his voice when he says that word, “love.” It makes her chest catch. But she cannot bring herself to examine it now, her mind too clouded with desire. Electricity pulses through her as Mulder grazes her clit with the pad of his thumb. Scully feels his index finger curl around into her center. It glides easily through her wetness. Her breath hitches as he slowly brings that finger to his mouth.

“I wanted to taste you so badly that night.” Darting his tongue out, he catches her essence, savors it with closed eyes. She can feel her clit swell in anticipation.

Scully is transported back to that moment: Mulder’s breath hot against her pussy. Her body betraying her every time his soft lips brushed against her inner thighs. Just another inch and his mouth would be on her. So close. A few times, she even felt the tip of his nose just barely graze against her labia. It made her crazy. Inside she longed for him to stop pretending. To kiss her wet and aching until she came against his mouth. 

“I wanted it too.” Her voice is tight with arousal, with love. Their eyes lock in silent communication as his mouth descends on her. She is on the razor's edge of desire. Her body could break in half from anticipation. The first soft kiss against her center is a prelude. When the tip of his tongue darts out to taste her, she hears music, sees chemistry and biology behind her eyes.

“Oh hell yes,” Mulder groans against her center. A broad stroke of his tongue crackles through every nerve in her body. He flicks, up and down, side to side. Circles. Flicks. Her entire being coalesces into the places where Mulder’s mouth is fused to her body. A low throated groan, a contented rumble in his chest. Flick. Flick. Circle. Swish. Smooth friction. His taste buds are rough and delicious. They light up all of her synapses. Scully watches herself swell with each drag of his tongue against her sensitive flesh. She sparks brightly under him. Every time she whimpers, he becomes more ardent, more driven. Flick. Flick. Circle. Swish. She listens to the fluid sounds of his fervid tongue, as he consumes her. A hunger that she has never known before. Yes, yes this is what she wanted. This passion. He is devouring her, just as she has yearned to be devoured by him. Her head thrashes from side to side. In her periphery she sees Mulder reach down, grasp his cock tightly and stroke once, as if trying to relieve some of the pressure building within. The very fact that he so enjoys giving her this pleasure sets her body on fire. A loud unexaggerated moan is ripped from deep within her. Mulder returns the sound - a humming vibration against her - as their pleasure becomes one. 

Her orgasm beckons, forming tight and hot in her belly. As if he senses her body reaching that pinacle, Mulder coaxes her clit into his mouth and sucks. Hard. With a long sliding moan, her back arches. The stars form behind her eyes. Her blood pulses as she shatters under his tongue. 

“M-Mulder! Oh, my God.” A ragged, gasping cry is drawn from her throat.

Mulder doesn’t move even as her orgasm begins to subside. Pushing his finger into her center, roughly sucking, he holds fast to her. She breaks again. Tremors. Pulsations. Absolute pleasure. He groans as he drinks her in, as if her pussy held the answers to every question they had ever asked.

Panting, Scully basks in the light of his affection as Mulder sits up and looks down at her with adoration. His cock pulses against her thigh as he moves up her body. Her lips find the corner of his mouth, and he rumbles happily in his chest. Tasting the flavor of her arousal on his lips, she seeks it out on his tongue. With confident hands, she pushes his shoulders back against his bed. The cotton sheets catch against her cast as she moves to hover over him. His hands are strong as they bolt to her hips and lift her up to settle against his cock.

They are finally here, on their own terms. This is the way it should always be.

Scully looks down at the place where they are to be joined. A final union of faith and science, of the mental, physical and spiritual. Something ancient is guiding them together. A vital truth that only they can know. The head of his cock bumps against her clit, as if magnetized. It belongs there. No, it belongs inside of her. Scully feels his blood pulsing under her fingers. She pushes the head of his cock just inside. A sharp intake of breath. The feeling of him coming into her is familiar, yet new. Its primal. The way she slides down his length is fire and ice, earth and wind.

There is no sound, no other voices. Only his eyes locked with hers, her hungry mouth against his. As if they are making up for a thousand of those hungry late night stake-outs. Their sighs and grunts pitch off of the ceiling and walls. Filling her ears with this new kind of music. They don’t need to talk now, they can just be. 

This time he is not hiding his pleasure, and she is free to take the time to appreciate the expression on his face. She has never seen him look so happy, so uninhibited. He is a study in passion. Mouth slightly open he pants in time with their movements, emits small moans.  
Scully brings a hand down to stroke his cheek. 

Scully shifts back, her ass resting on his thighs. She opens her center for him to see them joining, again and again. Mulder groans at the sight. Scully shifts, making his cock rub up against her front wall. His fingers reach for her clit, reminding her with a flash of last time; the way he asked to touch her, trying to focus on her pleasure in spite of everything. Now his fingers are again slipping over her slick clit, fumbling for a moment before finding a rhythm. The quick, firm circles are her the beginning of her undoing. She bites down on her lip and turns her head to the side, eyes falling closed as she focuses on the feeling winding tightly within her. 

“Hey,” Mulder’s fingers are gentle but firm on her jaw, turning her face back to him. His words are a whisper over her cheeks: “Don’t hide from me this time, Scully. I want to see you.” 

She opens her eyes to let him see her. She has nothing to hide from him. Nothing she wants to hide.

Meeting his gaze, she sees the same tenderness that she saw that night back in Maryland. This time she has no doubt as to its meaning. Her entire body erupts in warmth as that look. 

“Oh! Mulder!” His name is a breathless gasp on her lips. She pings, clenching around him tightly. He jerks, throwing his head back. Doubling over, Scully touches her forehead to his. With wave after wave of euphoria her body spasms, trying to pull Mulder in to be further part of her. Their union is tantric, sacred. 

“Ah, Scully.” His groan vibrates her entire being. Her muscles clench around him, milking him fiercely. Below her his is trembling, overwhelmed. Just as her orgasm starts to end, his begins. The heat of his release pulses into her, sending another rush through her. She wonders if they could go on like this forever - a perpetual cycle of bliss. 

But eventually the moment ends with her collapsing airless on top of Mulder He wraps his arms around her back, pressing her into his warm, solid weight. Their hearts a timpani of drums beating in tandem. She hums in contentment.

“That was…” Mulder breathes, words stirring her hair. There are no words that can really begin to describe the power of this moment. They both know that.

“Mhm.” She agrees, still panting, blood thrumming in her ears. In a few minutes, she will have to move and clean up, but not yet. Not yet. Just a few minutes like this, in the quiet afterglow bliss that was rudely snatched from them before.

Scully nuzzles her face into the space between his neck and shoulder, searching for Mulder’s scent. Mulder rubs her back in broad strokes with one hand, plays with her hair with the other. Touch-starved, as though he hasn’t just spent the last half hour touching her in the most intimate possible way. She doesn’t mind; his hands are soothing. She could easily fall asleep like this. 

“Scully?” Mulder whispers.

“Yeah?”

“That was what I wanted.” Mulder says, voice suddenly somber. “To really, properly make love to you.”

Scully’s heart catches his words. That emotion has been think between them for some time now, evidenced in the looks and touches between them. But this is as close as either of them has come to acknowledging it in words. Though his statement was not quite an admission, it is enough. She understands. 

“It’s what I wanted, too.” She tells him, equally serious. Mulder’s grin widens, and she feels the understanding pass between them.

She pushes herself up to look at him. He is positively beaming. The glint of happiness in his eyes lights the darkness. Her chest wells up, threatening to spill over with affection for this man. She is certain now of their love for each other, maybe she always has been. 

She shifts off of Mulder’s torso to lay beside him. Together they bask in the afterglow. He puts his arm around her, and she leans into him. For once they are a normal couple in love. Scully can’t help but grin. Now that they have both been satisfied emotionally and physically, the air between them seems lighter. Mulder’s usual worry lines are gone, he looks boyish, almost radiant.

“So I take it you enjoyed yourself?” A smug grin creeps on his lips, Scully knows this look, he’s got a secret.

“I had a pretty good time.” She says coyly.

“Just pretty good?” His eyes rake over her body and he clicks his tongue. “Mmmm.”

“What?” Scully raises an incredulous eyebrow. Mulder holds up three fingers.

“Count ‘em, Scully, one, two, three.” He emphasizes the last number with a smirk. He is baiting her.

“Pppft.” Scully tsks at him. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you were keeping track.” There is a gleam in his eye, it’s the same one he gets when his theory has been proven correct. 

“Well, yeah. A man likes to know where he stands, Scully.” He tickles her ribs lightly, and she chokes down a giggle.“Can I get a high five for a job well done?” Mulder holds his hand up, looking at her expectantly, with eyebrows raised. She rolls her eyes at him, but doesn’t move to slap his hand. So he lifts her arm and does it for her. SLAP. Their palms meet in the air. “High five.” He says with a self-satisfied chuckle. Scully can’t help the grin that teases the corner of her mouth. Yes, it was good -amazing actually- but his ego is already inflated enough as it is.

“Don’t get too smug.” Scully can’t help the smile that is creeping into her voice. “I’ll be expecting four next time.” She raises her eyebrows at him, the implication made clear. Next time. Mulder looks positively gleeful.

“Ooo,” his pillowy lips form an o, he clicks his tongue at her. “A challenge.” All of the sudden he grabs her wrists and playfully tackles her to the bed. The air is knocked out of her. Her squeal is breathless as he tickles her ribs. A happy rumble vibrates in his chest as he holds her down to kiss her jaw again and again. “You know how competitive I am, Scully.” A husky whisper to her ear. She can’t help but reveal in the warm weight of him pinning her down. “I will not rest until I’ve beat my record.” 

Using his body weight against him, Scully flips Mulder over onto his back. His face is a mask of surprise and delight.

“Ooof,” he groans as she gingerly straddles him. Her breasts rub against his chest as she leans down, hovering her mouth an inch above his.

“I’m counting on it.” She says against his mouth. Their kiss is languid but joyful.

“Just give me…” Mulder looks down at his penis, still slick with their sex. “Uh, twenty minutes, and we can see about making that happen.”

“I think you actually may have worn me out for the night.” She kisses his jaw. “But, what’s your opinion on morning sex?” His infectious grin makes her stomach flutter. 

“At the risk of sounding like a stereotypical male... the, uh, particular details of sex - time, place, attire - don’t much matter to me. Just say the word and I’m yours, Scully.” 

“Good to know.” She laughs, loving the way that sounds: I'm yours, Scully. 

With that she decides the stickiness between her legs has grown uncomfortable. She heads for the bathroom, telling Mulder, “I’ll be right back.”

“Do you want me to grab you something to sleep in?” He calls after her. “A tee-shirt or something?”

Scully considers; imagining herself swimming in one of his shirts, them hem around her thighs. Picturing him taking it off of her in the morning, or sliding his head underneath it to...mmhm.

“Yes, please.” 

She finishes washing up as best she can, then goes to rejoin Mulder in the bedroom. The sight that greets her strikes her still. her on the threshold. Leaning against the door jam, she lets herself stare..

Mulder sits on the bed, his sinewy back to her, watching out the window as luminous fingers of dawn have crept over the horizon. They spill into the room. setting Mulder alight. He turns toward her and beckons with a curled palm. She goes. She rests her head on his shoulder. Between them there is nothing but light. 

THE END


End file.
